9 March 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has announced that the Government of the US has designated as its 31st Ramsar Site, the Kakagon and Bad River Sloughs on the shores of Lake Superior in the state of Wisconsin.

According to Ramsar, the site is under tribal management that is protected as a Conservation Area. It provides habitat for: the endangered Gray Wolf; the threatened Canada Lynx; and migrating and local populations of birds. The site also protects wild rice beds that are becoming increasingly fragmented on Lake Superior. Threats to the site include invasive species and controversial potential mining activity in the Penokee-Gogebic Range upriver.

The US’ designation contributes to one of the goals contained in the Ramsar Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2015, which is to reach a protected area of 250 million hectares by 2015. [Ramsar Press Release]