TOWN OF SAUKVILLE, Wis. — A nonprofit land trust in northern Ozaukee County is pushing back against a proposed power line route that could cut through one of its protected preserves — land it has held in trust for public use.
Restoring Lands Wisconsin Land Trust is documenting plant and animal species at County Line Preserve in the Town of Saukville, gathering evidence it plans to submit to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
The PSC is currently reviewing the Ozaukee County Distribution Interconnection Project, submitted by the American Transmission Company. The project is driven by the demand for more power to serve the Port Washington data center campus.
The preferred route for the project would run through the land trust's property.
Watch: Members of a land trust are fighting to keep power lines off its Ozaukee County preserve
Tom Stolp, executive director of Restoring Lands Wisconsin Land Trust, said the organization has been an advocate for balanced development in the community.
"Part of that balance is making sure we set aside some of the best places in our community," Stolp said.
TMJ4's Chief Investigative Reporter Jenna Rae spoke with neighbors earlier this week and learned ATC has been offering neighboring landowners up to $15,000 for permission to survey their properties. The land trust received the same request.
"A hearty no from us. This, frankly, is what is being proposed by the utility, which is completely incompatible with every aspect of our mission," Stolp said.
Stewardship Coordinator Kira Dayton said the organization's "Bio Blitz" event — which brought volunteers together to catalog species at the preserve — is part of that broader effort.
"We're hoping to get documentation of each of these species and educate our community members and volunteers on the species we are finding," Dayton said.
Volunteer Delisa White was among those photographing and identifying plants at the preserve during the event.
"The whole idea of restoring lands and holding land in trust, I don't think that should be able to be violated for the transmission lines," White said. "It's just important to be able to document what we have and know how to keep it," White said.
The City of Port Washington and Vantage Data Centers have both expressed support for an alternative route. The Public Service Commission has until December to issue a final decision.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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