From the Trust for Public Land
In the 1890's, Forest Lodge was a logging bunkhouse on the shores of Wisconsin's Lake Namekagon, surrounded by heavily logged timberland in a region of abundant beauty and solitude. Crawford Livingston purchased it as a vacation retreat and through the generations, his family stayed in the large log cabin, canoeing the lake, tramping through the mossy bogs, and watching as the forest renewed itself.
Today, Forest Lodge is still a place of vibrant natural beauty. A mature second-growth forest is now thriving on the land and the original log cabin and other buildings are considered important landmarks. Perhaps the most stunning thing about the Forest Lodge property is its three miles of undisturbed, undeveloped shoreline along Lake Namekagon - the headwaters of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and an important staging area for waterfowl. The site also includes many special areas of botanical and scientific interest, including a stand of old-growth, hemlock-hardwood forest.
What has changed most over the past hundred years is the landscape surrounding the 872-acre Forest Lodge site. Instead of being isolated getaway, the property is one of the rare areas of pristine nature in the increasingly populated Northwoods. Aware of the historic significance of the estate, TPL worked with Livingston's granddaughter, Mary Griggs Burke, to help her find a way to protect the integrity of Forest Lodge while sharing its beauty and unique character with the public. Thanks to Mrs. Burkes generosity and vision, Forest Lodge will remain a vital natural area into the twenty first century and beyond. The spectacular Forest Lodge property, has been made a specially protected part of the Chequamegon National Forest and will ultimately become a unique historic site and an environmental education and conference center.
"Forest Lodge is the Walden Woods of the Midwest," says TPL Senior Project Manager Shaun Hamilton. "By preserving the site, we honor the legacy of the people who have been stirred by the natural beauty and the ecological diversity of this area."
Making the Most of a Northwoods Legacy
The future of Forest Lodge will combine ecological protection with programs to cultivate and enhance appreciation of the Northwoods. TPL worked closely with members of Congress and the U.S. Forest Service to achieve special protection for the property. Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey and Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold were particularly vital in the shepherding through the initiative to prohibit timber harvesting, road construction, and recreational construction on the Forest Lodge site. Ultimately, some of the property will be managed as a nature preserve; other areas will be available for recreation including canoeing, hiking, and snowshoeing.
The Forest Lodge Advisory Council was established to oversee management and programs at the site. The protection of Forest Lodge will sustain the care that Mrs. Burke and her family gave the land over the past century. It also marks an important move to conserve Northwoods land for the public, says Lynn Roberts, forest supervisor of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
"The Burk property is a significant addition to the protected public land base of northern Wisconsin," Roberts says. "Not only does it preserve three miles of increasingly rare, undeveloped lakeshore, it also presents an opportunity for environmental education to enhance people's enjoyment and understanding of the Northwoods."
