Posted 6/27/01 North Branch resident donates land for wildlife management area By Danielle Strenke North Branch resident Jerome Hoppe recognized the value of keeping his land off of Hemingway Ave. in its natural state, and a prime habitat for deer and other wildlife. To that end, Hoppe, along with his daughter, recently donated one-third the appraised value of his property to have the 85-acre parcel designated as a wildlife management area. The land, which is located off of Hemingway Ave. about two miles south of Hwy. 95, was purchased through the DNR and the assistance of several local conservation organizations. Hoppe decreased the cost of the appraised land by one-third to allow for the DNR to designate it as a wildlife management area. He said he did it to maintain the land in its natural state. ěI did it because thereís a lot of deer around here, and I want to keep it wild,î he said. The wildlife management area will be known as the Janet Johnson Memorial Wildlife Management Area. It will be open to the public for hunting, outdoor recreation, and as a site for community and environmental education for local schools and organizations to utilize. It will not be open to motorized traffic, including ATVs, or horses. Hoppe didnít know Janet Johnson, but likes having the site dedicated to her, because she lived in the area. On June 20 the Chisago County Board of Commissioners reviewed this proposal and approved the action being taken. Hoppe would like to thank the commissioners for their approval, and DNR Supervisor Dave Pauly out of Cambridge for his assistance. ©Post Review