The Niagara Escarpment, a magnificent bedrock ledge extending 230 miles through Wisconsin that creates the western shoreline of Door County, will take center stage in 2010. Many communities — from Door to Brown counties to Fond du Lac and Waukesha counties — will celebrate the geological wonder, as the Wisconsin Legislature approved 2010 as the Year of the Niagara Escarpment.

The proclamation, made official on March 24, was brought to table by Assemblyman Al Ott, R-Forest Junction, and is officially known as Assembly Joint Resolution 1 (AJR1). It is a formal acknowledgment of the Niagara Escarpment as a resource unique and important to the state of Wisconsin.

"The Niagara Escarpment is part of a much larger land form that extends 650 miles from eastern Wisconsin to Door County and up into Upper Michigan and across into Lake Huron through southern Ontario to Niagara Falls and into New York state," said ecological consultant Bob Bultman. "The Niagara Escarpment corridor is one of the richest stretches of land with the highest level of biodiversity in the entire mid-continent of North America."

The Niagara Escarpment is most commonly identified by its numerous vistas, with some cliff faces rising 200 feet above the neighboring landscape. Prime examples on the Door Peninsula are Eagle Bluff at Peninsula State Park, Ellison Bluff County Park and Door Bluff Headlands County Park. Outcroppings of the ridge can be found within a wider corridor in the county and includes sites from Cave Point County Park to the Brussels Hill.

The escarpment has a significant historical and cultural connection to the people of Wisconsin. The Niagara Escarpment was used in Paleo-Indian times. It also has been home to significant agricultural businesses, including the rapidly expanding viticulture and wine-producing industries. The escarpment is a source of quality stone building materials and is the backdrop to a growing eco-tourism industry throughout the state.

Although the beauty and resources of the Niagara Escarpment have been enjoyed for generations, there is a concern about its future care and protection. In response, the proclamation identifies May 2010 as the Month of the Niagara Escarpment to focus on promotional and educational efforts. An advisory coalition, the Niagara Escarpment Resource Network (NERN) — comprised of more than 300 members ranging from conservation organizations to federal, state and local agencies, to academic groups and concerned citizens — is working to help raise awareness, organize activities and educate others as to the unique features of the escarpment.

"People do not know what the escarpment is … and we are trying to get people to appreciate more than just the view," said Department of Natural Resources Lakeshore Basin Watershed Supervisor Kelley S. O'Connor. "We want to educate people on what the escarpment is, but, more than that, we want to create an awareness and have them come away with why it is important and why they should care about it."

The presence of endangered species along the escarpment is one reason to care. In AJR1, the Legislature formally recognized that more than 240 different rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species find their home along the textured ridge tempered by the proximity of the cool, moist Great Lakes. Delicate species found in along the escarpment in Door County range from ice age snails and the Hines Emerald dragonfly to the Dwarf Lake Iris.

Another reason for concern that many are familiar with in Door County is the effect of the fissured dolomite and limestone on groundwater quality. "The Niagara Escarpment is very vulnerable and can affect groundwater very easily," said O'Connor.

Educational and promotional event planning in the region has begun, with ideas ranging from talks and walks along the escarpment to concerts, educational brochures, migratory bird-watching guides and more. A bike ride, named the Great Arch after a term used to describe the Niagara Escarpment, will span from Horicon Marsh to the tip of Door County. Geologists will enjoy field trips to Door County during a tri-state geology conference. And, NERN will host one of its regular meetings May 21 in Door County, with guest speakers and field trips.

"We would love it if any groups want to participate," said O'Connor, who added that the proclamation provides local communities a unique opportunity and a multitude of possibilities to "not only educate others about what the escarpment is, but why we should care about protecting it."