A Five-Year Management Plan for the Cherokee Marsh North Unit

Paul Quinlan, conservation resources supervisor at Madison Parks, has (with his colleagues and input from the Friends) completed a comprehensive five-year Habitat Management Plan for the North Unit of Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park. The document updates an earlier management plan from 2018.

A similar plan for the Mendota Unit was completed in February 2024, and an updated plan for the South Unit is in the works. These plans document the status of the parks' habitat and species and lay out the anticipated work plan and costs for the next five years. Quinlan notes that, while these plans are important guides for actions to be taken, there is also flexibility to respond to threats and opportunities.

The plan describes the natural communities in the park, ecological threats, conservation goals, management considerations, the role of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh, management history, management units within the park, habitat management objectives and timelines, opportunities for special initiatives, species monitoring and evaluation, and budget. The narrative is supplemented by appendices of maps, observed species lists, the Madison Parks Natural Areas Monitoring Goals document, and a data summary of vegetation surveys at the park.

You can find the full plan here.

Paul Quinlan presenting at the January 2025 annual meeting of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh