Grassland buffers protect Wisconsin’s waterways from excess nutrient runoff from agriculture. Photo: Anonymous.
Counties: Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond Du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara
Description: this region is characterized by level to rolling topography. Sand pits, beaches and dunes are also prominent features associated with Lake Michigan. Soils are diverse and include sands, clays and stony loams. Climate effects of Lake Michigan give the region its characteristic cooler summers and warmer winters with heavy snowfall compared to more inland locations. Prior to European settlement dominant vegetation was mixed mesic forest including maples, basswood and beech, which has now been converted to agricultural and industrial uses. Major economic activities include dairying, manufacturing and tourism. (See WDNR’s ecological landscapes map, soils map, and natural areas map).
Key biomass? resources: forest-based woody materials (e.g., wood chips), lumber mill waste (e.g., sawdust), wood manufacturing wastes (e.g., pallets), dedicated perennial herbaceous bioenergy? crops (e.g., switchgrass?), dedicated non-forest woody crops (e.g., hybrid poplar?), row crop residues (e.g., corn stover?).
Biomass projects (click to go to Biomass Projects Atlas)
People (click to see regional directory)
Agencies and organizations (click to see regional directory)