Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.35
Liaison Alan Burr
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Platteville
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Amy Seeboth-Wilson
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Campus includes approximately 120 acres of protected area under the Land and Water Conservation Program (LAWCON). This area, called Memorial Park, runs along the southern border of campus and contains a combination of woods, prairie, and mowed parkland. It features a class 1 trout stream, recreation trails, a disc golf course, and arboretum. Among participation criteria for LAWCON, are:
"Natural areas and preserves and outstanding scenic areas where the objective is to preserve the scenic or natural values, including areas of physical or biological importance and wildlife areas. These areas must be open to the general public for outdoor recreation use to the extent that the natural attributes of the areas will not be seriously impaired or lost;"
http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/nr/001/50/06


Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

During the summer of 2015, Dr. Yari Johnson, UW-Platteville Reclamation Faculty, with assistance from two students, conducted an assessment of our campus "natural areas" - 120 acres on campus proper. He divided the acreage into 30 distinct "native communities" (10 prairies, 5 wetlands, 12 forests/woodlands, and 3 oak savannas) based upon their plant and wildlife makeup, and then documented their current status, any endangered or vulnerable species within the area, and developed recommendations for protecting and restoring the area. We have developed a land management plan based upon these recommendations and it is awaiting approval from the administration. In the plan, we recommend a restoration process and timeline for each area.


A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

Natural Communities native to Wisconsin identified by the inventory include:
- 2 Oak woodlands,
- 2 Floodplain Forests,
- 4 Mixed hardwood-pine forests,
- 3 mixed hardwood forests,
- 8 Prairies,
- 1 Submergent marsh,
- 2 Fen's,
- 2 Wet prairies,
- 1 Wet-mesic prairie,
- 3 Oak savanna's


A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

While the whole area in question is protected by LAWCON status, we are actively working on improving and restoring the environmental sensitive areas listed above. We have a land management plan that outlines our priorities for these areas and have been investing in them through academic classes, volunteer projects, and campus operational efforts. In Summer 2017 we had a goat herd on campus to work on controlling invasive species.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.