What is the GHA?

The vision of the GHA is to create a coordinated network of corridors and places ("strings and pearls") that:

* enables and encourages a variety of compatible and sustainable outdoor recreation activities - things like hiking, biking, birding, hunting, camping, horse riding, fishing, and more;

* preserves, restores, and protects significant habitats - prairies, wetlands, savannas and woods;

* benefits and integrates with local economic growth, including farmland protection efforts;

* enhances quality of life by maintaining and improving the land and water resources that underpin the economy;

* helps residents and visitors maintain a strong connection to the natural world and its conservation, and to their cultural heritage.

Why here, why now?

Wisconsin residents have long had a passion for getting outside to hike, hunt, fish, and camp. For many residents, family camping trips up north provide memories that last a lifetime. Yet, in today's more hectic lifestyle, fewer people have the luxury of extended trips. Combined with an increasingly urban and suburban population, there is a significantly growing demand for outdoor activities that can be enjoyed after work or on a weekend. The proposed GHA seeks to help meet this demand while benefiting local communities.

The study area lies between the rapidly growing Milwaukee and Madison metropolitan areas. Growth pressures present numerous challenges for the communities throughout this area, yet there are opportunities here that few other regions of the state enjoy. With over half the states population living within an hours drive of the proposed Glacial Heritage Area, the location --combined with the areas natural resources-- make it uniquely situated to leverage the rapidly growing demand for nature-based recreation to its advantage.