
About Us
Conserving Wisconsin’s natural legacy for everyone...forever.
Photo: Devil’s Punchbowl Preserve, Menomonie, WI
Conservation Easements
Acres Conserved
Projects With Public Access
Our Mission
Our Vision
Wisconsin
Our Community
Landmark Conservancy
Our Progress

Our History

West Wisconsin Land Trust (WWLT) was founded in 1988 with a focus on farmland protection. By the time Wisconsin Farmland Conservancy had changed its name to West Wisconsin Land Trust in 2002, over 4,500 acres of farms, forests and open space had been protected. As the momentum for private land protection grew, so grew the area in which WWLT worked, stretching from the Black River to the south, the banks of the Mississippi to the west, and the shores of Lake Superior to the north.
WWLT helped protect more than 25,000 acres of land and held 177 conservation easements. These easements protect approximately 20,000 acres. WWLT also owned six small preserves totaling over 500 acres. The organization assisted with a number of other projects where land was conveyed to the ownership of another conservation partner, such as an outdoor sports club, a habitat organization, or a government agency.

Bayfield Regional Conservancy (BRC) was incorporated in 1996 with the mission of protecting the lands of the Bayfield Peninsula. Early work included the establishment of the Brownstone Trail in Bayfield, collaborating with the Town of Bell to permanently conserve shore land near Cornucopia, and the completion of the Big Ravine Trail. In the ensuing years, BRC conserved over 5,000 acres, holding over 30 conservation easements and two forested preserves.
Working in Ashland, Douglas, Sawyer, and Bayfield Counties, BRC’s service area included Wisconsin’s entire Lake Superior drainage basin as well as the incredibly rich and diverse lakes region in Sawyer County. Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands were also included in the service area. BRC had a proud history of community-based conservation initiatives to preserve Wisconsin’s northwestern region.

The two organizations had been longtime partners, collaborating on a number of projects in recent years. After two years of careful deliberation, we determined that our commitment to conservation required a unified and more robust organization for greater impact. Our integrated staff of conservation and advancement professionals will help ensure the quality, visibility, and permanence of our work. The merger was complete in the spring of 2018 .
Our Team
Interested in learning more about joining the Board of Directors?
Read the article by former Board Member Judy Aldrian! For more information contact Executive Director Lindsey Ketchel at:
Executive Committee
Bill Butsic – Board Chair
Menomonie, WI
Retired, ConAgra
Genevieve Johnson – Board Vice Chair
Minneapolis, MN
Retired, Architect
Sue DeNuccio – Board Secretary
Minneapolis, MN
Retired, Vice President, Target Corporation
John Grape – Board Treasurer
Menomonie, WI
Senior Business Loan Officer, WESTconsin Credit Union
Members At-Large
Sue Aiken – Bayfield, WI
Registered Nurse
Chuck Bomar – Menomonie, WI
Retired Dean, UW-Stout, College of STEMM
Rory Cameron – Chippewa Falls, WI
Retired, Chippewa County Circuit Judge
Bob Durfey – Bayfield, WI
Retired, Professional Engineer
Tom Fitz, Ph.D. – Ashland, WI
Professor of Geology, Northland College
Mary Hemshrot – Shell Lake, WI
Environmental Educator
Greg Hilding – Minnetonka, MN
Retired, Group President, Bremer Bank
John March – Edina, MN
Retired, Cargill Corporation
Katherine Merrill – Herbster, WI
Retired, Vice President, Regis Corporation
Richard (Rick) Neville – Eden Prairie, MN
Retired, Executive VP, World Fuel Services
Bruce Siebold – Menomonie, WI
President and Owner, Rusk Prairie and Consulting, LLC

Landmark Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.