10-22-21 conservancy group purchases 70k acres of northern forest

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A conservancy group has purchased 70,000 acres of forest in northern Wisconsin. The Virginia-based group known as The Conservation Fund announced the purchase Wednesday. The sale price was not released. The land is known as the Pelican River Forest and includes 16 parcels located mostly in Oneida County that straddle the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. A succession of companies has owned the land, including Consolidated Papers. The Conservation Fund says it will protect wildlife habitat while continuing sustainable timber harvesting as well as recreational uses such as hunting and fishing.