09181 - Foursection

The Foursection roadless area encompasses 2,037 acres within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin. The landscape is organized around the Wakefield Creek-Pine River watershed system, with Wakefield Creek and the Pine River serving as the primary drainage corridors. Unnamed wetlands interspersed throughout the area capture and hold water, creating the hydrological foundation for the forest communities that depend on consistent moisture. Water moves through this landscape as both surface flow in named streams and subsurface seepage through wetland complexes, creating a network of aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats that sustain the area's ecological diversity.

The forest composition reflects the moisture and elevation gradients characteristic of the northern Great Lakes region. Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) dominate the more mesic upland sites, while black spruce (Picea mariana) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) occupy the wetter depressions and wetland margins. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) are common in areas recovering from past disturbance, and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) persists on better-drained slopes. Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and northern red oak (Quercus rubra) appear on transitional sites where moisture and drainage conditions support mixed hardwood communities. This mosaic of forest types creates distinct microhabitats across short distances.

The area supports a suite of large carnivores and specialized forest species. The federally endangered gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the federally threatened Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) hunt white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and smaller mammals across the forest floor. Black bears (Ursus americanus) and fishers (Pekania pennanti) move through the canopy and understory in search of food. The federally endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) hunts insects in the airspace above the forest, while barred owls (Strix varia) hunt from perches in the canopy. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) inhabit the cold-water streams, where they feed on aquatic invertebrates. Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) nest in the understory, and American beavers (Castor canadensis) engineer wetland habitat by damming tributary streams. The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), proposed for federal threatened status, passes through the area during migration, depending on milkweed plants in open and transitional habitats.

Moving through Foursection, a visitor experiences the transition from dense hemlock-hardwood forest to open wetland complexes. Following Wakefield Creek downstream, the forest canopy opens where water spreads across the landscape, and the sound of flowing water becomes constant. Climbing away from the creek into upland forest, the understory shifts from wetland sedges and sphagnum to the drier herb layer beneath hemlock and sugar maple. The forest floor changes texture and color with each community type—dark and moist under hemlock, brighter and more open under aspen and birch. In winter, tracks in snow reveal the presence of wolves, lynx, and deer moving through the same corridors. The interplay of water, forest type, and wildlife activity creates a landscape where ecological processes remain visible to an attentive observer.

The lands now comprising the Foursection Roadless Area were home to Indigenous nations long before European contact. The Ojibwe, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi, and Oneida peoples used these forests as a storehouse for food, medicines, and functional products. The Ojibwe signed a series of treaties with the U.S. government in 1836, 1837, 1842, and 1854 that ceded these lands while specifically reserving rights to hunt, fish, and gather within the ceded territory. These treaty rights remain court-affirmed and are managed through a 1998 Memorandum of Understanding between the tribes and the Forest Service. The Forest County Potawatomi Community maintains a continued presence within the forest's boundaries under a 2016 memorandum of understanding reflecting a "good neighbor" relationship with the Forest Service. The area contains culturally significant sites of Menominee origin and other tribal spiritual sites protected under federal law.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, intensive industrial logging removed nearly all of the original old-growth forest from the region. Major railroads including the Chicago & North Western Railway and the Soo Line transported timber from the Northwoods to southern markets. Specialized logging spur railroads were built deep into the woods during the railroad logging phase of the late 1880s through 1910s to move logs to major rail grades. By the 1920s, the land was described as "over-cut, burned-over, and farmed-out." Much of the land became tax-delinquent and was abandoned by owners.

The federal government acquired these cutover and burned-over lands under the authority of the Weeks Act of 1911, as amended by the Clarke-McNary Act of 1924. The Wisconsin legislature granted federal permission to acquire and manage lands as National Forests through the Wisconsin Enabling Act of 1925. The area was officially designated as part of the Nicolet National Forest by presidential proclamation on March 2, 1933. It later became part of the Chequamegon National Forest, established by presidential proclamation on November 13, 1933. The Chequamegon and Nicolet National Forests were administratively merged into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in February 1998.

During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps operated extensively in this region to restore the landscape through reforestation, fire protection, and construction of recreational infrastructure. The CCC performed extensive replanting efforts, with most of the trees in the area representing even-aged second-growth forest resulting from this era. The Foursection Roadless Area is protected under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

Vital Resources Protected

Headwater Protection for Cold-Water Fish Habitat

The Foursection area contains the headwaters of Wakefield Creek and the Pine River, which support brook trout and other cold-water species dependent on stable stream temperatures and clean spawning substrate. The roadless condition preserves the riparian forest canopy—including balsam fir, black spruce, and white spruce—that shades these streams and regulates water temperature. Loss of this canopy through road construction and associated timber harvest would expose streams to direct sunlight, raising water temperatures and degrading the cold-water refugia these species require to survive, particularly as regional climate patterns shift toward warmer conditions.

Unfragmented Habitat for Forest-Interior Species

The 2,037-acre roadless area provides continuous interior forest habitat critical for species sensitive to edge effects and fragmentation, including the federally endangered gray wolf and Canada lynx (federally threatened), which require large, connected territories to hunt and den. Road construction fragments forest habitat into smaller patches, isolating populations and reducing the genetic connectivity necessary for long-term survival. The area also supports the federally endangered northern long-eared bat, which depends on intact forest structure for roosting and foraging; fragmentation from roads increases predation risk and reduces access to insect prey in the interior forest.

Riparian Integrity and Wetland-Upland Connectivity

Unnamed wetlands within the roadless area function as hydrological buffers and transition zones between upland forest and stream systems, regulating water flow and filtering sediment before it reaches Wakefield Creek and the Pine River. The intact riparian forest prevents erosion and maintains the soil structure that supports diverse plant communities, including species like balsam fir and black spruce that are projected to become less suitable in the region under future climate conditions. Preserving this connectivity allows species and ecological processes to shift across the landscape in response to climate change—a critical adaptation pathway in a region experiencing warmer winters, reduced snowpack, and altered precipitation patterns.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Corridor

The roadless area's unfragmented forest canopy and understory vegetation provide nectar and milkweed resources essential for the proposed federally threatened monarch butterfly during its multi-generational migration through the Upper Midwest. Road construction and the associated clearing of vegetation would eliminate these resources along a critical migration route, fragmenting the landscape and increasing mortality risk for a species already experiencing severe population declines.

Threats from Road Construction

Sedimentation and Stream Temperature Increase from Canopy Removal

Road construction requires cutting slopes and removing riparian forest to create the roadbed and sight lines. This exposes mineral soil to erosion, and runoff carries fine sediment into Wakefield Creek and the Pine River, smothering the clean gravel and cobble spawning substrate that brook trout require for reproduction. Simultaneously, removal of the riparian canopy eliminates shade, allowing direct solar radiation to warm stream water. Together, these changes—increased sedimentation and elevated temperature—degrade cold-water habitat and reduce brook trout survival, particularly in a region already experiencing warmer winters and altered snowmelt patterns that stress cold-water species.

Habitat Fragmentation and Population Isolation for Large Carnivores

Road construction divides the roadless area into smaller habitat patches, breaking the continuous forest that gray wolves and Canada lynx depend on for hunting, denning, and dispersal. Roads also increase human access and vehicle strikes, direct sources of mortality for these species. The fragmentation isolates populations from adjacent suitable habitat, reducing genetic exchange and increasing extinction risk—a particularly acute threat for the federally endangered gray wolf, which requires large, connected territories and is sensitive to human persecution near roads.

Culvert Barriers and Disrupted Aquatic Connectivity

Road crossings of Wakefield Creek and the Pine River require culverts or bridges. Improperly designed culverts create barriers that prevent upstream migration of brook trout and other aquatic species, isolating populations in fragmented stream reaches and reducing genetic diversity. Even where culverts allow some passage, they alter stream hydraulics and substrate composition, degrading spawning habitat. The loss of connectivity between headwater and downstream populations reduces the resilience of cold-water fish communities to climate-driven changes in water availability and temperature.

Invasive Species Colonization Along Road Corridors

Road construction creates disturbed soil and edge habitat that woody invasive species and vines rapidly colonize, particularly in a region where climate change is expected to favor invasive establishment. These invasives spread from the road corridor into adjacent forest, outcompeting native understory plants and degrading habitat for northern long-eared bats, which depend on intact forest structure for roosting, and for migratory birds that use the area as a transition zone between boreal and deciduous forests. The loss of native plant diversity reduces insect abundance and diversity, further degrading foraging habitat for bats and birds already stressed by habitat fragmentation.

The Foursection Roadless Area encompasses 2,037 acres within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest's Eagle River-Florence Ranger District. The area's roadless condition supports a range of backcountry recreation centered on the Lauterman Lake complex and the upper Pine River watershed. Access is primarily non-motorized, preserving the quiet character that distinguishes this area from surrounding developed forest lands.

Hiking, Mountain Biking, and Horseback Riding

The Florence County Snowmobile trail system provides 45.2 miles of marked routes accessible from five trailheads: Lauterman South, Lauterman North, Assessors, Ridge, and Perch Lake. These trails traverse terrain ranging from 1,460 to 1,550 feet elevation, with grades averaging 5 percent and reaching 30 percent on steeper sections. The trail network connects Lauterman Lake and Little Porcupine Lake, offering views of older-growth mesic hardwood forest, hemlock, yellow birch, and basswood. An Adirondack-style shelter provides a rest stop along the route. A $5 parking fee is required at trailheads. Access is from State Highway 70, approximately 12 miles west of Florence. Motorized vehicles are prohibited within the immediate Perch Lake and Lauterman Lake areas, maintaining the roadless character essential to backcountry hiking and riding.

Winter Recreation

The same trail network is groomed for traditional cross-country skiing during winter months. A dedicated 2.5-mile snowshoe trail runs along the shores of Lauterman Lake. The Florence County snowmobile system operates on designated trails and unplowed forest roads with at least 4 inches of snow, typically closing in early March. Winter recreation here depends on the roadless condition—the absence of plowed roads preserves the quiet, undisturbed snow experience that distinguishes this area from motorized-access zones.

Hunting

White-tailed deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and wild turkey are documented game species in the forest. Beaver trapping is managed through annual aerial surveys. Hunters must follow Wisconsin DNR regulations and are prohibited from hunting within 150 yards of developed campgrounds, recreation sites, trails, and buildings. Portable tree stands without screw-in steps or nails are required. The roadless condition provides solitude and quiet recreation away from motorized vehicle traffic—a key attraction for hunters seeking undisturbed forest habitat and escape from crowds.

Fishing

Wakefield Creek and the headwaters of the Pine River support wild populations of brook trout and brown trout. These cold-water streams rely on natural reproduction rather than stocking. The general trout season runs from the first Saturday in May through October 15, with a daily bag limit of 5 trout (minimum 8 inches for brook trout, 10 inches for brown trout). An early catch-and-release season typically runs from the first Saturday in January through the Friday before the May opener. Access is walk-in from the forest periphery; there are no developed vehicle access points within the roadless area. The absence of roads preserves the clear water quality and intact riparian habitat that support these wild trout populations.

Birding

Barred owls are documented within the area. The surrounding forest supports breeding warblers, vireos, tanagers, and thrushes in upland habitats, with waterfowl and shorebirds using nearby wetlands during migration. The Foursection area falls within the Florence Christmas Bird Count circle. Nearby observation areas include Whisker Lake Wilderness Area Trail (109 species documented), Nicolet National Forest–Brule River Campground (104 species), and Chipmunk Rapids Campground (103 species). The roadless condition preserves interior forest habitat and undisturbed wetlands essential to breeding warblers and other forest-interior species.

Paddling

The upper Pine River, which originates in or near the roadless area, offers Class I–II whitewater suitable for beginning paddlers. The river features six back-to-back series of Class II rapids and one Class II+ technical section. Optimal paddling season is April through May during spring snowmelt; by summer, low water can make the upper reaches difficult. A trip through the upper section takes approximately 5–6 hours depending on flow. Chipmunk Rapids Campground provides river access. The roadless condition maintains the Pine River's natural flow regime and undisturbed riparian corridor, which are essential to the river's character and paddling experience.