A shared vision for protecting the Driftless Area's scenic bluffs and natural heritage has led to a collaborative conservation project between Mississippi Valley Conservancy and the City of Onalaska. In an impactful collaboration formalized through the Onalaska Natural Lands Protection Program, this partnership highlights the mutual benefits between the conservation efforts of the Conservancy—a private nonprofit land trust— and the City, a public municipality that has prioritized the retention of green space and wildlife habitat for the local community.
On August 14, 2025, the Conservancy donated 80 acres of bluffland to the City for ownership and management. A condition of the land donation was that the Conservancy will retain a conservation easement ensuring that the future use of the property is for the benefit of area wildlife.
Known for now as the French Road Property, the site includes rugged dry cliffs, globally vulnerable prairie remnants, and rare oak woodlands perched above the Mississippi River valley. This conservation transfer connects the property to existing parklands within the City of Onalaska’s Greenway boundary and further enhances the scenic character of the region. Visible from major roadways like I-90 and Highway 16, the preserved landscape will provide accessible recreational and educational opportunities to the public for generations to come.
Earlier in 2025, Mississippi Valley Conservancy and the City of Onalaska renewed the shared commitment to protecting the City’s scenic beauty, open space, and wildlife habitat through a conservation easement. Abbie Church, conservation director at the Conservancy, shared, “This agreement specifically recognizes the City Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which prioritizes opportunities for partnerships with private organizations like us to accelerate the implementation of the objectives of that plan and cooperating to preserve open space, wildlife habitat, and nature-based recreational opportunities. The City is a conservation leader, demonstrating the positive impact of good partnerships.”
The scenic bluffland was acquired by the Conservancy through donations in 2007 and 2021. The site offers several habitat types for visitors to enjoy, including three bluff prairies with native grasses and wildflowers; oak woodlands with large, open-grown bur and white oak trees; vertical dry cliffs that shelter wildlife and cliff-dependent species; and oak and hickory forest communities that provide habitat for pollinators, migratory birds, and songbirds such as wood thrush, black-billed cuckoo, and scarlet tanager.
Vertical dry cliffs are found along the ridgelines on the upper elevations of the property and contain fissures and crevices that provide shelter to wildlife and unique habitat for cliff-loving species such as smooth cliffbrake, harebell, and amethyst shooting star. This property is available for the local community for hiking, birdwatching, and other nature-based education and recreation.
Mayor Kim Smith of Onalaska expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnership, saying, “The City of Onalaska is grateful for the partnership we have established with Mississippi Valley Conservancy. By working together with the Conservancy, we are preserving what makes this part of the world so special. Through long-term and strategic municipal planning, we have identified and prioritized creating a ‘greenway’ of our bluff tops not only for today, but also for future generations.” She added, “The Bluffland Greenway was once only a vision, and I am very proud to see it becoming the incredible resource we envisioned.”
Conservancy staff, including Stewardship Specialist Connor Kotte, emphasized how visibly impactful the project is to the local community: “The wooded bluffs are integral to the scenic character of the neighborhoods in and around Onalaska, including around the La Crosse Country Club. The surrounding backdrop for the residents of these neighborhoods, members of the Country Club, and visitors to the City of Onalaska would not be the same without the preservation of the forested blufflands.” The permanent conservation easement held by Mississippi Valley Conservancy will ensure that no development, subdivision, or mining can ever occur on the property.
The conservation of the French Road Property supports key goals in the Conservancy’s Strategic Plan and Climate Action Plan, as well as the City of Onalaska’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. To date, the City has purchased 112 acres of bluffland, with an additional 82 acres donated to the City previously from the Conservancy. This additional French Road acquisition of 80 acres will bring that total to 162 acres of conserved bluffland. “This is an incredible opportunity for our region,” Smith said, “and a testament to the generosity of the people of our community.”
This successful project underscores the power of partnerships in conservation, particularly in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, where natural landscapes are not only ecologically significant but deeply valued by the communities who call them home.
(Photo at top of article: Mayor Kim Smith shakes hands with Conservancy Board President Allan Beatty as they celebrate the transfer of the land to the City of Onalaska.)