Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map

EPHRAIM / BAILEYS HARBOR FOREST CORRIDOR
& NORTH BAY LOWLANDS
LOCATION:
This large complex landscape is located in northeastern Door County in the Towns of Gibraltar,
Baileys Harbor and Liberty Grove (T30-31N, R27E). As this report represents general areas of concern,
exact locations of boundary lines have not been designated.
GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION:
The Ephraim / Baileys Harbor Forest Corridor & North Bay Lowlands follows the shoreline of
Lake Michigan in the Baileys Harbor area then reaches inland across the peninsula to Eagle Harbor. The
area contains cedar swamps, a variety of glacial landforms, and a forest corridor with few roads. The
North Bay section contains several high quality wetland communities associated with the Lake Michigan
shoreline, including emergent aquatic communities; a northern sedge meadow, and a large forested fen
community.
Further inland are extensive tracts of northern wet to mesic forest, which intergrades with a forest
type having boreal components. Many shallow, cold hard water springs and spring runs also originate
with the area. The major spring fed stream, Three Springs (or Nick’s Creek) empties into Lake Michigan
through a large emergent marsh in the north end of the bay. The northern section adjoins Peninsula State
Park and the southern section adjoins The Ridges Sanctuary, Mud Lake State Wildlife Area, Toft Point
Natural Area, Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest & Wetlands State Natural Area, Marshall’s Point State
Natural Area, Moonlight Bay Bedrock Beach State Natural Area, North Bay State Natural Area, and
Mink River/Rowley’s Bay System.
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Approximately 11,100 acres comprise this large complex of natural area projects and preserves.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, The Ridges Sanctuary, The Nature Conservancy, the Door
County Land Trust and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are already protecting large tracts
totaling 4,338 acres. While, the project area identified here contains many unique natural features and
species of concern, its importance is magnified when recognized as part of a landscape contiguous with
the adjoining sites and natural areas. This site is large enough to furnish habitat for several animals
requiring large home ranges or large breeding territories. The contiguous nature of the forest mosaic also
allows for the natural recovery from small to medium sized natural disturbances (e.g., windstorms, insect
outbreaks).
Old growth conditions occur with the site, along with small to extensive patches of younger early
succession forest. Given time this site represents one of the best opportunities on the peninsula to
establish a landscape with old growth dynamics and characteristics. Species composition is extremely
rich with some of the highest densities of rare, state listed species anywhere in Wisconsin. The diversity
of native orchids is especially high within this site.
Ecological processes were disrupted historically through logging, road building and land clearing
for orchards and grazing. The impacts of these activities are still visible throughout the site. However
important natural ecological processes (surface water movement, forest stand dynamics, food web
interactions) appear to have remained intact, to be recovering, to have been only minimally impaired, or
to have compensated.
The lands surrounding this site both supports the quality of the site and at the same time may
present some of the threats facing the maintenance of the ecological processes and species richness of the
site. The ecological connection of this site to the Mink River forests provides additional territory for
species movement and genetic interchange. Natural Heritage inventory efforts have identified 36 rare
animals, invertebrates, and plants, along with five natural community types. See the Natural communities
Cross Reference, Appendix “A” and Wisconsin’s Natural Heritage Inventory Listing, Appendix “B”.
Ephraim / Baileys Harbor Forest Corridor & North Bay Lowlands 109