The City of La Crosse has been chosen as this year’s Policy Maker of the Year for its contributions to the preservation of over 700 acres of blufflands along the Mississippi River. Since 2001, the City has partnered with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy to implement the La Crosse Bluffland Protection Program. This collaborative conservation initiative works to protect the region’s signature landscape feature – an eight-mile stretch of the Mississippi River Blufflands bordering the city. Through this partnership, over $1 million dollars have been raised for land acquisition, protecting almost half of their 3,000 acre goal. Neighboring towns are watching La Crosse closely, and it appears that this collaboration will become a model for other upper Midwest communities.
“The leaders of the City of La Crosse have been visionary for their work in creating the La Crosse Blufflands Protection Program. They are shining examples of local government working for the long-term success and quality of life for a region, in spite of the short-term expense of doing so.”
~Tim Jacobson,
Executive Director, Mississippi Valley Conservancy
