Protecting nature

Approach

We seek to enhance biodiversity and sensitive natural habitats on our land, using sound practices to manage for multiple uses — aesthetics, biodiversity, cultural resources, forestry, recreation, water quality and wildlife. We also support stewardship efforts that reach beyond our properties across state and national borders.

Some of our electric and natural gas facilities cross protected or potentially sensitive habitats such as wetlands, grasslands, savannas and forests. When we consider new facility locations or routes, or maintain and upgrade existing facilities, our environmental staff members work with project managers to avoid potentially sensitive areas and to take care for the surrounding environment. Where such areas cannot be avoided, we strive to minimize ecological, social and cultural impacts, coordinating with governmental natural resource agencies and inviting the public to help us plan our activities.

For example, when siting and installing natural gas pipelines, we use a consensus approach that results in:

• Rigorous examination of potential routes for impacts to forests and other habitats, avoiding sensitive lands wherever possible.
• Modification of construction methods to reduce the potential impacts caused by crossing wetlands and streams.
• Restoration of construction areas.
• Restoration of soil productivity in agricultural land.

Both the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin are involved in this consensus approach prior to our applications for any necessary permits. We used this approach during installation of the 34-mile Ixonia natural gas pipeline lateral, the 17-mile Port Washington natural gas pipeline lateral, and the Hartford-West Bend and Fox Valley laterals.

Performance

While energy generation and distribution can affect the environment in many ways, regulatory agencies have found no indication of harm or significant changes in natural habitats and biodiversity related to our activities and operations. We use effective controls to limit emissions and discharges, meeting and often exceeding government regulations.

Habitat initiatives

Rio Bravo conservation and management area
We led the development of two forest carbon sequestration projects in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area of northwestern Belize, Central America. In conjunction with The Nature Conservancy, other non-profit organizations and several U.S. and Canadian energy companies, this program purchased and manages 35,000 acres of endangered sub-tropical forest, wetland and pine savanna. Working with the Programme for Belize, the partnership will reduce, avoid and mitigate 2.4 million tons of carbon over 40 years through land protection and sustainable forest management.

Wilderness Shores Recreation Area
This area is located near our hydroelectric dams in the Menominee River watershed in northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The recreation area is undeveloped except for the dams, power generation and transmission equipment, a few roads (mostly gravel), and low-impact recreation areas with primitive campsites, privies and boat launches. This mostly forested area includes high-quality swamp wetlands and has high biodiversity of plant and animal species.

Our land use and management is governed by the Wilderness Shores Settlement Agreement, a landmark collaborative agreement with state and federal resources agencies and non-government stakeholder groups, related to the renewal of operating licenses for our hydroelectric system. Our land in the Spread Eagle Barrens State natural Area in Florence County, Wis., and Menominee River Natural Resources Area in Marinette County, Wis., receive special attention because of high biodiversity and other natural values. The Wilderness Shores Settlement Agreement provides key benefits for the affected lands, including shoreline protection, land management and improvement funding.

Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area
Prescribed fires restored this rare bracken grassland barrens on parcels we owned within the Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area in Florence County, Wis. We sold more than 400 acres of that land, which was not needed for utility operations, to the WDNR in 2007. We manage the remainder consistent with Natural Area objectives through a perpetual conservation dedication. We continue to develop and maintain a geographic information system for the entire Natural Area. We adopted this area through the WDNR’s Adopt-A-Natural Area program and the Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation.

Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness Area
Located in Michigan’s Houghton and Baraga counties, we maintained a forested tract, including gorge and waterfalls, in its natural condition since acquiring the property in 1927. In cooperation with U.S. Forest Service personnel in the Ottawa National Forest, we successfully completed the sale of the Sturgeon River Gorge property in 2007 to the Trust for Public Land, ensuring its protection in perpetuity.

Kurtz Woods State Natural Area
This woods in Ozaukee County, Wis., is one of a few remaining woodlands representative of the pre-settlement conditions that once covered large expanses of the Lake Michigan coastal counties in Wisconsin. We adopted this area through the WDNR’s Adopt-A-Natural Area program and the Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) Foundation. We adopted this area through the WDNR’s Adopt-A-Natural Area program and the Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation.

Ulao Creek Watershed
As the watershed’s largest landowner, we work with the Ulao Creek Partnership in Ozaukee County, Wis., to protect this land within a rapidly urbanizing area.

Chiwaukee Prairie
This prairie in Kenosha County, Wis., is one of the largest prairie complexes in the state and the most intact coastal wetland in southeastern Wisconsin. We also adopted this area through the WDNR’s Adopt-A-Natural Area program and the WEC Foundation.

Bain Station Prairie
We manage this land in Kenosha County, Wis., with prescribed fires and other management techniques to restore this wet-mesic prairie that provides habitat for rare plants, including prairie white-fringed orchid.

Fumee Lake Natural Area
We assist the county in monitoring breeding bird populations in this diverse forest located in Dickinson County, Mich.

Wisconsin wetlands
A number of wetland mitigation projects have been constructed near the Oak Creek Power Plant expansion in Oak Creek, Wis., expected to result in approximately 90 acres of restored wetland, enhanced wetland and upland prairie and upland woodlands that we will maintain and manage in perpetuity. These sites, located near a rapidly urbanizing area along the Lake Michigan migratory bird flyway, will create large habitat blocks and provide a significant water quality buffer for the Root River, a tributary to Lake Michigan. Plans include a public bike and recreational path through portions of these lands. We also manage 12 restored and created marshes on our properties in Ozaukee and Manitowoc counties. We also protected and restored wetlands along the Ixonia and Port Washington natural gas pipeline projects.

Wisconsin and Michigan shoreland areas
We manage shoreland areas adjacent to our hydroelectric reservoirs for ecological and aesthetic values, and recreational opportunities.

Biodiversity initiatives

Native birds
In 2001, we were the first company to endorse the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative. Now, more than 140 groups are working on a long-term comprehensive plan to conserve all native birds in all habitats in Wisconsin. Priority goes to species and native ecosystems in the greatest need of protection, recovery and enhancement. Our staff lead this and several other comprehensive wildlife conservation efforts with the coordination and cooperation of the WDNR and multiple partners.

Bald eagle
Our Bald Eagle Protection Plan protects nesting eagles from disturbance, protects canopy trees for future nesting sites, and offers public financial incentive to report raptor nesting sites on company lands. This program has supported the recovery of the bald eagle in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Osprey
Whenever ospreys use our distribution structures for their nests, our field crews often construct taller (and presumably better) alternative nesting structures for the birds nearby. This helps prevent the sticks that fall from osprey nests from causing electrical service interruption and reduces the risk of a bird being electrocuted. Ospreys currently use more than 25 platforms that we erected in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Peregrine falcons
Since 1988, nearly 20% of the total peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin have hatched at our power plants.

Prairie white-fringed orchid
We continue to help the prairie white-fringed orchid habitat to recover at Bain Station Prairie in Kenosha County, Wis., where the orchid once grew. We use mowing and prescribed fires to clear woody vegetation and promote regrowth of native plants, including the orchid.

Invasive species
We support several activities aimed at controlling invasive plants and animals such as buckthorn, Eurasian water milfoil, garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, sea lamprey and the zebra mussel. We contribute to help other agencies and groups produce educational materials about invasive species and the threat they pose to biodiversity. 

Threatened species
We have identified 19 IUCN 2004 Red List threatened species that exist in our service territory. This includes 12 birds, 2 mussels, 2 turtles, 2 dragonflies and 1 mammal. We know of no adverse effects to any of these species caused by our activities.

Fish stocking
Since 2003, we have worked with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and local sport fishing organizations on a penning project for Chinook salmon at our Presque Isle Power Plant. The net penning process works as a “half-way house” for salmon that typically would be planted directly into a body of water. The process allows fish to become acclimated to the river and to predators such as gulls, cormorants and others while minimizing risk. Return rates for similar projects have been up to 20% compared with direct planting return rates of approximately 2%.   

Foundation support

The WEC Foundation routinely makes financial contributions to organizations devoted to preserving and protecting lands and waters for future generations. These funds help a variety of non-profit organizations enhance wise stewardship of the natural features in areas where WEC subsidiaries operate. Recipients also use these contributions to provide educational materials and information on biodiversity and the many issues that pose serious threats to biodiversity.