Conservationists and a private buyer are both seeking a pristine slice of Lake Michigan land. What to know about the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs
A pristine piece of property along Lake Michigan is a prized target of a group of conservationists hoping to create a nature preserve.
The group, the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, appears to be in competition with a potential private buyer who plans to develop the land and keep it on the tax rolls in Ozaukee County.
Along the way, the land trust had its plans stymied by an anonymous state legislator who blocked a key grant needed to complete the group's purchase of the land.
The site in question is known as the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs.
Here's what you should know about the property, and what's happened since the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust started trying to preserve it.
What is Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs?
Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs is 131 acres of undeveloped land along Lake Michigan just a short drive from downtown Port Washington, and about 30 miles from Milwaukee. Cedar Gorge is estimated to be 30 minutes from about a quarter of Wisconsin's population. The site is near Highway C and Stonecroft Drive.
The land may not look like much more than farm fields from the road, lined on three sides by trees and think brush.
But on the other side of the trees on the far side of the property lie stunning views of a Lake Michigan so still it appears like an extension of the sky. The turquoise waters lap at the beach below the clay bluffs towering over 100 feet above the shoreline.
Just north of the bluffs is a gorge deep in the earth — dubbed Cedar Gorge for the cedar trees shading it from view.
Both features are what preservationists say make the property exceptional, an asset to protect from development and to preserve for generations to come.
Preservation effort began after failed development plans
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust has been fundraising for years to turn the land into a park, after a series of failed development proposals — including for luxury homes surrounding a vineyard and a winery. Owned by Waukesha State Bank, the property is worth millions of dollars.
The final piece of 10 years of fundraising was set to fall into place this spring — a grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program. The funding would bring to fruition a natural area roughly twice the size of the popular nearby Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve.
What happened when the land trust applied for the grant?
The land trust was initially approved for a $2 million stewardship grant during the Department of Natural Resources' review process. The DNR, however, isn't the final authority for money taken from the stewardship fund — that authority lies with the Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance.
After being presented to committee members, an anonymous member objected to the money being used for the project and the members then suggested a smaller grant. Committee members then contended that the land trust took too long to respond to the reduced amount and decided to revoke the offer of less money.
Now, despite pleas from the land trust and members of the public for the committee to look at funding the project again, there has been no movement.
The land trust is now trying to raise the final $1 million in funding to be able to purchase the property without the grant.
The objector remains anonymous
The four Democratic members of the committee have all said they were not the objectors to the project, while Republican members of the committee have remained silent.
Joe Malkasian, the committee clerk, said because the committee reviewed the land trust's application for the stewardship fund last summer, emailed records were already deleted. He also noted that conversations surrounding the anonymous objection were likely had in person, so records wouldn't have existed.
Malkasian said the committee allows the anonymous objection after a lawmaker received blowback on a decision to object years ago, and the practice has been upheld, though it is not codified in Wisconsin state law.
Bill Leuders, the president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, called the practice a problem.
"You know, you shouldn't be able to do some things anonymously, like ... block funding for a worthy project," he said.
What have lawmakers had to say on the topic?
Lawmakers have had a host of input on the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs saga.
Democrats including those on the Joint Committee have decried the committee's decision to not revisit the grant funding. Democrats on the committee — Sen. John Erpenbach of West Point, Sen. LaTonya Johnson of Milwaukee, Rep. Evan Goyke of Milwaukee and Rep. Beth Meyers of Bayfield — denied objecting to the project.
"We, as the Democratic members of the Joint Committee on Finance, call on you to hold a hearing regarding this proposal," they wrote in the April 7 letter.
Meanwhile, the 12 Republicans on the Joint Committee have largely remained silent. No Republican members of the committee responded to a survey from the Journal Sentinel asking for information about the objection.
The co-chairs of the committee — Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green — did not respond to questions from a Journal Sentinel reporter about why the funding for the nature preserve is being held up, or if the committee has plans to take up the funding in an upcoming meeting.
Though the Legislature is not currently in session, the Joint Committee is still conducting hearings. Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs was not discussed at the most recent meeting on April 13.
What about the interested buyer?
The identity of the "interested buyer" for the property has yet to be revealed.
So far, the buyer has only said they are a resident of the state and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in a letter shared by Rep. Rob Brooks, R-Saukville. The buyer also shared in the letter their "very real appreciation for nature, the environment, and the need to protect it over time."
The buyer said they plan to develop the land instead of turning it into a park, saying parks become a burden to the county to pay for. In the letter, they compared the land to a "free puppy" sign.
"The puppy is only free the day you take it home," the letter says. "Once the land is acquired by (the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust) it comes off the tax tolls forever and becomes an expense forever."
Also sent to Brooks was an email from the attorney representing the anonymous buyer, Lane Ruhland, who is most recently known for representing former president Donald Trump's 2020 campaign in Wisconsin and for her involvement in attempting to get rapper Kanye West on the ballot in the state for the same election.
Ruhland said the interested buyer is remaining anonymous not to avoid scrutiny by the public, but "rather to ensure that a purchase as important as this is done correctly."
How long does the Land Trust have to raise the funding needed?
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust's agreement with Waukesha State Bank to purchase the property for $5 million is valid through September, at which point the property would once again be available to other purchasers.
Is Ozaukee County going to help with the purchase?
The Ozaukee County Board on April 6 took up a measure that would have provided $1 million to the Land Trust, bringing it closer to its final fundraising goal.
However, that resolution was defeated because it did not secure yes votes from two-thirds of the board.
What comes next?
As long as the stewardship grant is unavailable, the Land Trust plans to keep fundraising for the final $1 million needed.
"This project is still going to happen," said Tom Stolp, the executive director of the Land Trust. "The community has already raised 80% of the funds to forever conserve this property. I just don't see the prospect of development happening. We're simply too close and too far along in the process."
What if I want to help?
For more information about the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs or to make a donation, visit www.owlt.org/cedar-gorge-clay-bluffs.
How to reach public officials involved
The Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance controls the disbursement of stewardship fund grants.
The committee chairs are Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who can be reached at Rep.Born@legis.wisconsin.gov, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, who can be reached at Sen.Marklein@legis.wi.gov.
Republican members of the committee are: Sen. Dewey Stroebel of Saukville, Sen. Dale Kooyenga of Brookfield, Sen. Mary Felzkowski of Irma, Sen. Kathleen Bernier of Chippewa Falls, Sen. Joan Ballweg of Markesan, Rep. Amy Loudenbeck of Clinton, Rep. Katsma of Oostburg, Rep. Shannon Zimmerman of River Falls, Rep. Jessie Rodriguez of Oak Creek and Rep. Tony Kurtz of Wonewoc.
Democrats on the committee are: Sen. John Erpenbach of West Point, Sen. LaTonya Johnson of Milwaukee, Rep. Evan Goyke of Milwaukee and Rep. Beth Meyers of Bayfield.
About this feature
This is a weekly feature for online and Sunday print readers delving into an issue in the news and explaining the actions of policymakers. Email suggestions for future topics to jsmetro@jrn.com.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about the effort to preserve the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs
