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• 2114 Van hiss Avenue Madison, Wis. 53705 January 6, 1987 Mr. Mike McLain 6110 Midwood Madison, Wis. 53716 Dear Mike: On December 31, 1986, I visited with you and inspected the site of a proposed residential dwelling on the small wooded knoll located approximately in the NW quarter of a proposed 12-acre parcel in the SE a of the NE y of Section 15, and SE_.4-0t.the SPA - of Section- 10, town 6 north, range 10 east, the Town of Dunn, Dane County, Wisconsin, said parcel being located immediately west of the west end of Riverholm Drive, and the parcel being part of the former Leroy Schaefer farm, according to the 1976 Dane County Plat book. For reasons cited below under paragraph C, I believe that this single proposed development of a single residence on a large lot so situated, would not significantly detract from the wildlife, esthetic and other natural values of Lower Mud Lake and the Lower Mud Lake Wetlands, and in fact could enhance their protection, provided that this proposal be made part and parcel of an integrated management and deed restriction project for the entire area as gutlined in par- agraph D. Such a project would be in the interest of the Town of Dunn Open Space Plan and Open Space Preservation Handbook, which recognize the special natural resource values of this area and their sensitivity to development pressures, which I summarize in paragraphs A through B. A. Lower Mud Lake and its associated wetlands and fields and woods has three special natural resource values. 1. It is one of the least disturbed and altered wetland ecosystems in southern Wisconsin, harbors a rich diversity of plant and animal species, and exhibits to a large degree the presettlement condition of the landscape. Therefore, it has special cultural values - historic, esthetic, and scientific. 2. In addition to the usual wildlife complements of natural areas ranging from deer to pheasants to turtles and frogs, this ecosystem harbors three special wildlife components which are especially sensitive to unregulated human intrusions at any time of year, to say nothing of landscape alteration; (a) Migra- tion and feeding habitat for some 25 species of waterfowl, numbering in the thousands between October 1 and April 15, approximately, each year. They include ducks, geese, grebes, mergansers, coot and sometimes swans. They utilize the water, which is shallow, especially along the west and south shores,with or without ice shelves. They fly over or to croplands and wetlands in the area but have little other habitat in the area that is undisturbed water abounding with plant and animal food. (b) :vesting habitat in the marsh for at least one and possibly up to three pairs of sandhill cranes. (c) Frequent visitation and potential nesting habitat for many birds of prey and large waders, again requiring large undisturbed wetland and assoc- iated shallow water abounding with fish, agricultural fields, and nerby isolated woods. These birds include several owls, several hawks, eagles, osprey, herons, egrets, bitterns, and cormorants. While the cranes have recovered from near extirpation in Wisconsin in the past half century, the other groups of birds listed are iigeneral still in decline because of loss of habitat continuing today. All three groups are especially sensitive to human presence including boating, on foot, or in all terrain vehicles. hence public lands, accesszble,of necressity,to the unreg- ulated general public, are not always the best refuges for these species. 3. Finally, it is very rare to find such an abundance of wildlife so close to a large urban population - some 250,000 people including schools and colleges - providing educational and quality of life opportunities for guided exposure to this treasure, and instruction on how to maintain it. Thus this resource requires some sort of special private or semi-private stewardship.