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The naturalist used to work at Hixon Forest Nature Center, where school groups go to learn about the sights and smells of the outdoors. She still volunteers there, and said it was her dedication to the forest that compelled her to help shape a comprehensive plan of how the forest will be managed.
"When you're trying to figure out what you want to do with a forest, you have to decide what you want it to be," she said.
"I think what the general public wants from the long range plan is that Hixon Forest be there for children and everyone else forever."
In the 92 years it has been in the city's hands, Hixon Forest has never had a written plan to provide guidance on managing the 800-acre natural resource. The La Crosse Board of Park Commissioners is set to vote on a 40-plus page comprehensive plan proposal March 17.
Adryan Slaght, the city planner who spearheaded the plan, said a 2003 forest assessment raised questions about the possibility of logging in the forest. Those findings raised concerns about the long-term goals of Hixon, he said, and coupled with increased usage of the forest, a plan was deemed overdue.
"Hixon Forest is a large area that has needs in regards to natural resource management and management of recreational uses," said Hixon Forest Nature Center board member Craig Thompson, who also works for the Department of Natural Resources and served on the plan's steering committee.
"Rather than deal with things in a hodgepodge nature, this plan deals with things in a comprehensively manner with a big picture perspective."
"A lot of people realized that the forest borders on being loved to death," agreed working committee member Pat Caffrey.
"If you try to accommodate every use that people want in the forest, it won't be there."
Thinning the herd
Slaght said the plan looks at Hixon first as a natural resource, before any recreational uses, but welcomed public input as it was shaped. Interested stakeholders were invited to take part in three public sessions as well as one-on-one meetings.
A working committee comprised of experts took the opinions and research, while a steering committee helped formulate drafts of the plan.
The top two priorities that have emerged include addressing the deer population and invasive plants, such as black locust and honeysuckle, because they have a cause-and-effect relationship. The deer are eating much of the native vegetation, he said, clearing the way for the invasives to take over.
An ecologist who surveyed plant communities in Hixon had to classify some areas based on the type of soil and the location because there were no plants.
"There are just too many of them," Thompson said of the deer. "They are browsing the forest into oblivion."
Horse hurdle
The plan was before the park board for approval Feb. 17 but was deferred for 30 days after several people representing equestrian interests expressed displeasure that horseback riding would no longer be permitted in Hixon Forest.
Slaght said research has shown horses can bring in invasive species through their hooves or manure and can cause erosion damage.
Nancy Gerrard, who rides in the forest, said the equestrians attended a few early plan meetings and were under the impression horses would be allowed in the forest. She stressed the riders just want to use the fields in upper Hixon and not the trails.
She said her research,which included some of the studies cited in the plan's literature review, show that horses, bicyclists and hikers can co-exist with minimal impact. Only about 15 horses are used in Hixon, she said, with probably a half-dozen rides a week.
"I'm having a hard time grasping this, especially when there is so much documentation that was positive," she said, adding that riding has occurred in the forest for 40 years. "It looks like a case where we were bumped out because we weren't there with our horse hats on representing our interest. I'm the first one to apologize for that, not being more proactive."
Benco said she has seen riders on the trails earmarked for bicyclists and hikers and is upset approval was held up for another month. The holdup has put any new projects on hold until the plan is passed, she said — projects such as planting flowers and studying the deer.
"It's a little frustrating for those of us who have been coming to the meetings for over a year," she added.
Complicating matters is the uncertainty of whether horses are even allowed in the forest. Slaght said horses are not allowed in the city unless the horse is kept on land zoned for agriculture, but some also think an ordinance exists that says riding in the city is forbidden. Slaght said his department is searching to see if such an ordinance exists.
Preserving the forest
Thompson said most of the people who worked on the plan knew that while they may not like every recommendation, the plan would keep the best intentions of the forest in mind.
Ralph Heath, CEO of Human Powered Trail, agreed. His nonprofit biking organization, which has several trails in Hixon, would like to see more built in Hixon because some are not as structurally sound. Trails can be built to blend into the environment, he said, that don't cause erosion and follow the natural flow of the land.
He knows more trails may not be built, but said all ideas were listened to and discussed in "robust conversations" at the meetings they attended.
"It was a group that positively worked out their disagreements and tried to see each other's point of view and tried to reach a compromise so everyone would be happy and could enjoy the forest in the best way possible," Heath said.
"Bottom line, everybody had the best interests of the forest at heart."
about the hixon forest plan
Current recommendations suggest the Hixon Forest Comprehensive Plan be revisited by the Board of Park Commissioners on a five-year basis, or in the case of significant land additions. Below are some of the recommendations from the Hixon Forest Comprehensive Plan. The entire plan can be found online at www.cityoflacrosse.org/Planning/Planning.html
If the park board approves the plan this month, it also must be approved by the city's Plan Commission and Common Council.
General Objectives
---Prairie remnants found on scattered sites throughout the forest shall be protected and restored to remain as prairie remnants. Management priority shall be placed on those remnants most threatened by succession.
---The use of fire, as well as selective cutting and tree girdling, may be used in order to carry out these management objectives, as well as to enhance biodiversity, attempt to restore natural processes to the forest, and reduce potentially hazardous situations.
---Commercial logging of native tree species shall be prohibited except in the case of salvage operations. Any revenues generated from the sale of lumber from the forest shall go back into the forest for habitat management.
Invasive Species
---Removal of invasive exotic tree species (such as black locust) shall be focused primarily on the forest edges.
---The removal of invasive woody shrub species (such as buckthorn and honeysuckle) is a management priority. Efforts should focus on those areas where the invasive species have not yet become dominant in the understory.
---The use of herbicides shall be allowed for the management of invasive species when fire or mechanical removal methods are ineffective. Herbicides should be biodegradable and used in the smallest doses possible to still be effective.
Wildlife
---The deer herd must be actively managed in order to restore balance within the forest and promote overall forest health. Failure to control the deer herd will limit opportunities for the success of other management activities, and thus should be considered a top priority.
---Use of sharpshooters for deer herd management is a preferred management option. However, due to budgetary constraints, the use of strictly controlled archery hunts is also to be considered an acceptable management alternative.
Recreation
---No motorized recreational vehicles shall be allowed within Hixon Forest.
---Addition of new trails within Hixon Forest is highly discouraged; however, ultimate authority rests with the Park Board. Parties requesting new trails shall be required to consult with representatives from the Hixon Forest Nature prior to approaching the Park Board
---Horseback riding shall be prohibited in Hixon Forest.
---Recreational activities that significantly increase threats to personal safety or potential for negative impacts on habitat, promote erosion, reduce tranquility, etc. shall be prohibited. This includes activities such as paintball, use of recreational motor vehicles, rock climbing, etc.
Kate Schott can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or Kate.Schott@lacrossetribune.com.
