Announcing the Establishment of the Svend Bramsen Preserve

James Bramsen of Barrington, Illinois made a generous land donation to the Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) during the final days of 2025.  The property gifted to NWLT is 87 acres in size with 4,484 feet on Manson Lake in the Town of Woodboro in Oneida County, now named the Svend Bramsen Preserve. 

At the rest area and public boat landing on Highway 8, visitors have sweeping views of the newly established conservation preserve. The boat landing is on the north end of the 236-acre lake, and the preserve is on the south end, with two Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-owned islands in between.

“This protected property will now forever safeguard the water quality and scenic beauty of Manson Lake. The preserve has the only large stretch of natural shoreline remaining on the lake, as most of the land has been subdivided into residential lots,” said Kari Kirschbaum, NWLT’s Land Protection Director.

The property is open to the public for non-motorized activities such as snowshoeing and hiking.  Access to the property at this time is by water. NWLT will soon write a management plan which will determine if public access to the property will be improved.

“NWLT is honored to have received this remarkable gift from Mr. Bramsen’s Trust. His family’s legacy is preserved forever, along with the beautiful forest and shoreland on Manson Lake,” Kari ended.

Learn more about this conservation area by visiting its dedicated webpage. A full article will be featured in NWLT’s spring 2026 newsletter.