Alliant Energy Foundation Commits $150,000 to Enhance Wisconsin Public Land Access
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area will expand by nearly 2,000 acres after land purchase
December 17, 2025 •
2
min read
Pat Sheahan/Wisconsin DNR
Ducks Unlimited (DU) recently received a $150,000 commitment from Alliant Energy Foundation to help in the acquisition of 1,931 acres of native habitat adjacent to Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area (ABWA), which is owned and managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).
Grants from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the North American Wetland Conservation Act, as well as funding from the Groundswell Conservancy, the WI State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and DU Major Sponsors, will also advance this land protection effort.
“As one of the largest contiguous tracts of land in Rock County—located within the ABWA acquisition boundary—this property represents a rare and exceptional conservation opportunity.” said Andy Kitslaar, executive director of the Alliant Energy Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with DU and many others to ensure this habitat remains intact for turkey, waterfowl, and other wildlife. Access to nature for the area’s residents and visitors will also be expanded through this acquisition.”
The project addresses an immediate threat to habitat loss and fragmentation. After DU transfers the property to WDNR, it will enable the management of high-quality wildlife habitats on a broader scale while making one of the most extensive tracts of public land in Rock County available for outdoor recreation.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area, managed for fishing, trapping, hunting, and other recreation opportunities, consists of bottomland hardwood forest and is located within the floodplain of the Sugar River. Large silver maples, swamp white oaks, and green ash dominate the canopy of the forest. Numerous sloughs and oxbows wind among bottomland hardwoods, grassland, and cropland.
ABWA is a state Conservation Opportunity Area. It has been designated a Wisconsin Important Bird Area due to its diverse birdlife, which includes wild turkeys, ring-necked pheasants, northern bobwhite quail, blue-gray gnatcatchers, Acadian flycatchers, tufted titmice, yellow-throated warblers, blue-winged and green-winged teal, and wood ducks. Avon Bottoms State Natural Area, renowned for its rare and intact plant communities, is situated within ABWA and borders the acquisition parcel.
“If DU, Alliant Energy Foundation, and our partners had not stepped up, this property would have likely been divided and sold, making it inaccessible to the public,” said Andre Carriveau, DU’s director of development. “This property will provide a significant conservation value to wildlife and the people who visit Avon Bottoms in perpetuity.”
