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LRB-4878/1
LTK:ahe
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
November 22, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Schachtner and Smith. Referred to
Committee on Senate Organization.
SJR76,1,2 1Relating to: supporting efforts to establish the North Woods and Waters of the St.
2Croix National Heritage Area.
SJR76,1,53 Whereas, the U.S. Congress has designated 55 national heritage areas to
4commemorate, conserve, and promote important natural, historic, and recreational
5resources; and
SJR76,1,96 Whereas, legislation has been recently introduced to designate the St. Croix
7River watershed region, covering all or part of 18 counties in northwest Wisconsin
8and east central Minnesota, as the North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix National
9Heritage Area; and
SJR76,1,1210 Whereas, the scenic St. Croix watershed region, which links the Great Lakes
11to the Mississippi River through the St. Croix River and its tributaries, has a rich
12geological, cultural, and industrial history that exemplifies the Upper Midwest; and
SJR76,2,213 Whereas, designating the St. Croix watershed region, with its abundant
14wildlife and white pine forests, as a national heritage area would increase awareness

1and understanding of important geographic locations and events in the region that
2represent key developments in American history; and
SJR76,2,63 Whereas, the designation would allow diverse cultural groups who have
4influenced the area, including the people of the four sovereign Ojibwe Nations who
5have ancestral lands and ceded territories in the region, to share their stories with
6a wider audience; and
SJR76,2,117 Whereas, the designation would also create new opportunities for local
8historians, scientists, artists, and others to interpret the nationally important
9stories of fur trading and, later, logging that brought development and prosperity to
10the central plains states but also left the land in the North Woods forests devastated;
11and
SJR76,2,1512 Whereas, that devastation in turn fostered the rise of a conservation ethic led
13by, among others, Gaylord Nelson, who grew up in the St. Croix watershed region and
14went on to found Earth Day, inspiring millions of people around the world to become
15good stewards of the land; and
SJR76,2,1816 Whereas, designation as a national heritage area would help conservationists
17showcase forestry and agricultural practices now operating in the region that are
18national models for sustainable resource management; and
SJR76,2,2319 Whereas, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the watershed's existing
20national park, established when the St. Croix River, along with its major tributary,
21the Namekagon River, was designated as one of the nation's first congressionally
22recognized wild and scenic rivers in 1968, would gain greater recognition for its
23natural beauty and plentiful recreational resources if the area is designated; and
SJR76,3,224 Whereas, the proposed legislation recognizing the scenic and historical
25significance of the St. Croix River watershed would bolster the local economy by

1bringing more paddlers, hikers, campers, ice climbers, and generally curious tourists
2to the region; and
SJR76,3,63 Whereas, designation as a national heritage area would not only increase the
4St. Croix watershed region's competitiveness in seeking grants, donations, and
5sponsorships to conserve and promote the area but also bring a new sense of regional
6identity and deserved pride to people living in the area; now, therefore, be it
SJR76,3,9 7Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the Wisconsin
8Legislature supports the efforts to establish the North Woods and Waters of the St.
9Croix National Heritage Area in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
SJR76,3,1010 (End)
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