Niagara Escarpment Resolution Adopted By Legislature

An Assembly Joint Resolution to proclaim 2010 as the Year of the Niagara Escarpment and May 2010 as the Month of the Niagara Escarpment in the State of Wisconsin has been adopted by the Wisconsin State Legislature.

The Niagara Escarpment is a 650-mile-long geologic feature of global importance that stretches across Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and New York. In Wisconsin, the Niagara Escarpment spans a distance of over 230 miles and reaches from Waukesha County to the Door County peninsula. The Niagara Escarpment is a prominent component throughout much of the eastern part of the state. Peninsula and High Cliff State Parks, two of Wisconsin’s most visited state parks, lie along the Niagara Escarpment corridor.

The Niagara Escarpment’s cliff faces and high elevation provide important vistas. Over 240 different rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species have been identified along the Niagara Escarpment. The corridor contributes significantly to the tourism industry with its numerous high value passive recreational areas. Landowners, past and present, have used the Niagara Escarpment landscape as a resource to build communities, sustain their livelihoods, and promote a strong stewardship ethic.