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Collaboration for Conservation

The Lake Superior Collaborative (LSC) is a network of organizations working in partnership to coordinate protection, restoration, and climate resilience efforts in Wisconsin's portion of the Lake Superior watershed.

The Collaborative is composed of local governments; state, Tribal, and federal government agencies; academic institutions; and nonprofit organizations working across Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin.

The Collaborative operates under the principles set forth in the Lake Superior Collaborative Charter, established in 2018 and revised in 2020.

Sunset over Lake Superior viewed through pine trees from a rocky shoreline. Photo by Jeremy Oswald.

What We're Working Toward

"The communities and ecosystems of Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin are climate resilient and supported by sustained and collaborative conservation partnerships and projects."

This shared vision guides everything the Collaborative does — from coordinating on-the-ground projects to facilitating networking and information exchange. The Collaborative's conservation work is guided by a watershed-wide Conservation Blueprint developed through the Headwaters to Coast Initiative — a collaborative effort spearheaded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, which brought together more than 50 people from 40+ organizations to set shared priorities for Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin. That work is now fully integrated into the Collaborative, guiding how we prioritize and coordinate conservation from the headwaters to the Lake Superior coast.

View Conservation Priorities

Our Collaborative Goals

Specific goals outlined in the Collaborative Charter guide our collective work in Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin.

  1. Align local land, water, and conservation stewardship efforts with priorities outlined in the Lake Superior Lakewide Action and Management Plan.
  2. Ensure the wellbeing of water and other beings by implementing public and private land projects that reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution, improve land use, preserve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase climate change resiliency.
  3. Facilitate networking and information exchange among Collaborative partners.
  4. Coordinate strategic outreach and engagement efforts to foster conservation stewardship among Lake Superior basin residents, local decision-makers, and private landowners.
  5. Support local engagement in conservation stewardship through strategic and coordinated outreach and engagement.
  6. Pursue funding opportunities that increase investment in the protection and restoration of Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin.
  7. Assess and communicate the value-added benefits of Collaborative efforts to protect and restore Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin.

About the LSC

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Charter & Action Plan

How the Collaborative Evolved

The Collaborative built on decades of collaborative conservation work in the region.

1998 – 2012

Lake Superior Basin Partner Team

The original regional collaboration providing knowledge-sharing among conservation organizations across Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin.

2009 – 2017

Chequamegon Bay Area Partnership

Focused collaborative effort in the Chequamegon Bay region addressing local watershed issues.

2014 – 2017

Lake Superior Landscape Restoration Partnership

A landscape-scale approach to restoration efforts across the region.

2018

Lake Superior Collaborative Founded

Regional organizations formed the Collaborative, recognizing the need for continued collaboration, networking, and knowledge-sharing. The LSC Charter was established.

2022

Headwaters to Coast Initiative Launched

A collaborative effort spearheaded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, in partnership with the Collaborative, that brought together more than 50 people from 40+ organizations to build a watershed-wide Conservation Blueprint for Wisconsin's Lake Superior Basin. The priorities and strategies developed through the Headwaters to Coast Initiative are now fully integrated into the Collaborative's work.

Connect With the Collaborative

Have questions about the Lake Superior Collaborative (LSC) or want to get involved? We'd love to hear from you.

Program Coordinator

Catie Geib
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center
29270 County Highway G, Ashland, WI 54806
715-820-1852
catie.geib@wisc.edu