Shoreland Protection Initiative
The Northwoods Land Trust’s Shoreland Protection Initiative aims to permanently conserve extensive stretches of natural shoreline on lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams throughout the northwoods region.
Our priority is to assist private landowners who are interested in safeguarding their natural shoreland (and associated waterbody) and provide them with tools to permanently protect their land.
Together, we can collectively protect our world-class natural resources while they are still healthy and clean, to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
WHY PROTECT SHORELAND?
Wisconsin’s northwoods region includes one of the highest densities of inland freshwater lakes in the world. Many of these lakes have clean, clear water with attractive sandy bottoms and shorelines. As a result, the northwoods has very high development pressure for residential waterfront and vacation home ownership.
While many private waterfront properties have been developed, there is still an opportunity to protect some of the last remaining natural shorelines so that future generations can enjoy them too. Larger waterfront properties on lakes and rivers, with surrounding forests and wetlands, safeguard our clean waters and provide important habitats for fish and wildlife.
Permanently protecting natural shoreland is one of the best ways we can protect the health and beauty of our waters. Our economy is tied to our waters, so it’s a public benefit to protect water quality through private land conservation. Protecting natural, quality water resources today, versus restoring impaired waters tomorrow, just makes economic sense.
If you are a landowner interested in conserving your shoreland, please visit our Protect Your Land page.
How it’s Done
This Initiative has historically been supported by multi-year Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (WDNR) surface water grants.
NWLT’s current grant award for 2025-2026 is focused in Oneida County. Communication to landowners is taking place in an effort to reach those with extensive stretches of natural shoreline. We invite landowners to learn more about permanent conservation options through NWLT and other best management practices and cost-share programs through our county partners.
We are interested in speaking directly with leaders and members in Oneida County lake or river associations. We can offer a presentation, &/or write an article for your newsletter to share information about permanent conservation options for landowners. Please contact John Heusinkveld, Conservation Outreach Specialist for more information.
Support our initiative
Take Action!
If you are inspired and want to see more land protected along our waters…
Resources
- Wisconsin’s Healthy Watersheds & High-Quality Waters Initiative. NWLT is an active partner in this effort to draw attention to the state’s finest waterbodies. The northwoods has the highest ranked healthiest waters in the state, and we are working hard to protect them in partnership with the state, private landowners, county conservation departments, and lakes and rivers associations. This site has a mapping tool for exploring the highest ranked watersheds and waters.
- Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin -Northern Highland. Information on the global significance of lake density in the Northern Highland Ecoregion of Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin’s Healthy Watersheds & High-Quality Waters Initiative. NWLT is an active partner in this effort to draw attention to the state’s finest waterbodies. The northwoods has the highest ranked healthiest waters in the state, and we are working hard to protect them in partnership with the state, private landowners, county conservation departments, and lakes and rivers associations. This site has a mapping tool for exploring the highest ranked watersheds and waters.
- Wisconsin’s Healthy Lakes & Rivers Program. Learn about the top 5 best practices to improve habitat and water quality for typical shoreland properties; access financial resources to help implement the practices; and use the tool to evaluate your own shoreland.
- Vilas County Lakes & Rivers Association– Local economic impact study of clear, clean lakes and the relationship to home sale prices. Two articles written by NWLT introduce the concept of land conservation to benefit water resources and includes examples of how associations can directly participate in land conservation projects.
Partners
Partnership departments and organizations have been instrumental in sharing information to reach waterfront landowners. In addition, our partners have a variety of programs designed to help improve and maintain shoreland areas.
Over the past 15 years the legislature has passed many reductions in the Wisconsin shoreline protection system including a reduction in local control of shoreline zoning. Formerly, many counties had very effective shoreline protection ordinances in place to address their unique local circumstances. The best features of these ordinances have largely been eliminated in favor of weak statewide regulations that allow poorly designed shoreline development. Consequently, highly effective shoreline protection measures like buffer strips (which were formerly required by counties) must now be done voluntarily by landowners planning development on their shorelines. One of the best ways to protect lakes and rivers is through voluntary conservation easements through local land trusts.
