Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area
Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area is a 7,155-acre (2,896 ha) protected area just off of U.S. 2 in Florence County, Wisconsin, USA. The nearest unincorporated community is Spread Eagle, Wisconsin, but the closest large city is Iron Mountain, Michigan; 6 miles (10 km) away. The Spread Eagle Barrens is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Energy Corporation, and was designated a State Natural Area in 1995.[2] In February 1993, the Natural Resources Board approved the creation of an 8,500-acre (3,400 ha) Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area. In August 1995, the Board approved the first purchase of land for the new natural area: 3,900 acres (1,600 ha) acres from Florence County at a cost of $1,400,000. Governor Tommy Thompson authorized the purchase in September 1995.[3] Despite the barrens name, many plants and animals call Spread Eagle home. The large grasslands and barrens are dominated by scattered jack pine, red pine, scrub oak,[4] and quaking aspen trees. The open landscape is maintained by timber harvesting and controlled burns. Some of the birds that live in the area are: northern harrier, upland sandpiper, northern raven, winter wren, eastern bluebird, warbling vireo, Nashville, chestnut-sided, pine, and mourning warblers, clay-colored sparrow, common nighthawk, eastern towhee, and Brewer's blackbird. Black bears, fishers, badgers, coyotes, red foxes, and white-tailed deer are some of the animals that roam the area. There are two rivers that run through the barrens: the Pine River and the Menominee River.[2] References
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