Fort McCoy shares natural resources accomplishments during July 2026 Monroe County committee meeting

Representatives with Fort McCoy's Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch highlighted ongoing conservation, habitat management, fisheries, forestry, and wildlife accomplishments during the July 13 meeting of the Monroe County Natural Resource and Extension Committee at the Monroe County Justice Center in Sparta, Wis.

Fort McCoy Fisheries Biologist Steve Rood presented the installation’s monthly update, outlining the broad range of natural resources work completed throughout June across the installation’s nearly 60,000 acres.

The monthly report demonstrated how Fort McCoy continues to balance military training requirements with stewardship of its forests, waterways, wetlands, and wildlife habitats through science-based management and partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations.

Fisheries — Natural resources staff continued monitoring the health of Fort McCoy’s lakes and streams through extensive water-quality sampling and fisheries management activities.

— During the month, staff collected monthly phosphorus samples, completed two base-flow sampling events and one runoff event, and checked 40 remote water-quality sensors that continuously monitor water temperatures across the installation.

— Biologists also collected dissolved oxygen and temperature data on all 10 installation lakes. Oxygen levels began declining in the deeper portions of Stillwell Lake, Swamp Pond, and Lost Lake, a seasonal trend that typically occurs as summer progresses.

— Creel surveys also continued, with staff interviewing 117 anglers during 12 surveys. Bluegill and largemouth bass catch rates remained strong in the North Flowage and Lost Lake, while rainbow trout catch and harvest rates declined from May but continued to provide fishing opportunities.

— To support ongoing fisheries research, biologists tagged 75 additional largemouth bass and recaptured 36 previously tagged bass in the North Flowage. Staff also tagged 286 brown trout and recaptured 40 tagged fish while completing habitat and fish assessments at 32 stream sites.

— In addition, crews removed approximately 105 meters of invasive vegetation along Stillwell Creek in Training Area B-31, treating cut stumps with herbicide to prevent regrowth.

Forestry — Forestry staff continued preparing for future timber management activities while coordinating with several partner agencies.

— During June, staff assisted with submission of the fiscal year 2027 annual work plan, processed logging contract extension requests affected by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shutdown directive and completed closeout documentation for four timber sale tracts.

— Foresters also met with representatives from the Sparta Rod and Gun Club to secure approval to use the organization’s range for hunter education activities and participated in an after-action review with the U.S. Forest Service, Fort McCoy Fire and Emergency Services, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, and DPW to evaluate the installation's spring prescribed burn season.

— Additional work included drafting a standing timber inventory and valuation for Training Area B-23 and preparing the fiscal year 2027 invitation for bids package for timber sales.

Threatened, endangered species — Biologists continued monitoring several state and federally protected species throughout the installation.

— Staff incidentally captured one Blanding's turtle and documented two bullsnakes without identification tags that had been struck on roadways. Another telemetered bullsnake also was found deceased.

— Telemetry monitoring continued on four Blanding’s turtles, two wood turtles, and one bullsnake. GPS data collected from a female wood turtle confirmed she was carrying eggs, with location data collected every two hours through mid-July to better understand nesting movements.

— Monitoring also continued for bald eagles and ospreys. Eagles remained active near the North Flowage nest, although dense vegetation prevented staff from determining the number of chicks present. Nesting activity also continued at an active osprey nest in Training Area D-03. — Bird monitoring included 40 point-count surveys, while staff completed 11 phlox moth surveys documenting 10 observations and 21 dusted skipper butterfly surveys with 17 butterflies observed.

— Preparations also began for leadplant flower moth surveys, although no moths were observed because host plants had not yet reached full bloom.

— Rare plant surveys documented 418 dwarf milkweed plants in Training Area C-11, 381 prairie fame-flower plants between Training Area B-19 and Range 29, and 654 brittle prickly-pear cactus clumps in Training Area C-20. No longbeak sedge or bog bluegrass populations were found during surveys.

— Bat monitoring continued with stationary acoustic detectors and 12 mobile bat surveys documenting several bat species across the installation.

— Karner Blue Butterfly surveys also continued as staff completed the first round of presence-absence surveys and began a second round of transect surveys. Regal Fritillary butterfly flight began June 24, with 67 butterflies documented incidentally in several training areas, although none were found during formal survey routes. Staff also scouted habitat for Ottoe Skipper butterflies but made no observations during the reporting period.

Invasive species management — The invasive species management program completed herbicide treatments or manual removal on more than 1,000 acres during June.

— Major treatment efforts targeted spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, wild parsnip, crown vetch, cypress spurge, garlic mustard, Canada thistle, bull thistle, musk thistle, cow vetch, butter-and-eggs, and several other invasive plant species.

— Additional activities included supporting the Monroe County Invasive Species Working Group Field Day hosted at Fort McCoy, monitoring leafy spurge biological control sites for flea beetles, coordinating unmanned aircraft system mapping of natural areas, and continuing goat grazing operations in Training Areas C-4, C-15, and C-16 to help control invasive vegetation.

— Natural resources staff also continued coordinating with organizers of the Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, which will include a field trip at Fort McCoy later this year.

Wildlife management — Wildlife staff finalized the annual update to Fort McCoy’s Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Rules and Regulations and forwarded the document for final approval.

— Personnel also worked with permit sales staff as applications opened for the 2026 fall hunting seasons, including gun deer, youth gun deer, hunters with disabilities, cantonment archery, and trapping opportunities.

— Annual truck-book surveys for game birds and mammals also continued throughout June, documenting hundreds of wildlife observations that will be used to monitor long-term population trends across the installation.

— Wildlife staff additionally participated in the Wisconsin Wild Turkey Advisory Committee meeting to review spring turkey harvest results, establish fall harvest authorization levels, and begin updates to Wisconsin's Wild Turkey Management Plan. Staff also received approval from the Sparta Rod and Gun Club to continue using its range for hunter education activities.

Fort McCoy’s natural resources program supports military readiness while protecting the installation's diverse ecosystems through ongoing research, habitat restoration, invasive species management, and partnerships with Monroe County and numerous state and federal agencies.

Monthly updates to the Monroe County Natural Resource and Extension Committee provide local leaders with an overview of the installation's environmental stewardship efforts and strengthen regional conservation partnerships.

Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.” And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

(Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch contributed much of this article.)

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