Cherokee Marsh

Cherokee Marsh gets preservation funds 4/22/2008
The preservation of Cherokee Marsh received a major boost today with the announcement of the purchase of 259 acres of wetlands and uplands, thanks to more than $3 million in grants from the state Stewardship Fund and monies from Dane County and the city of Madison. The state Dept. of Natural Resources contributed $1.5 million through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, with the city contributing $779,000 and the county contributing $794,000. The city will become the owner. The land being purchased is owned by Dennis Tiziani's Cherokee Park Inc. The purchase includes 236 acres of wetlands in Cherokee Marsh and 23 acres of upland habitat along the Yahara River. A bicycle and pedestrian trail is planned for the upland area to connect the northern and southern parts of Cherokee Marsh. The Natural Heritage Land Trust, a Madison-based conservation group, is coordinating the grants and the purchase of the property. It's the third project the trust has worked on for the Cherokee Marsh in the organization's 25-year history. Jim Welsh is executive director of the land trust.