Inventory and Assessment of Wisconsin’s Baraboo Hills Country (USA) as an Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark

Abstract

We analyzed the Baraboo Hills in south-central Wisconsin (USA) as a first step in consideration of its potential for UNESCO Global Geopark designation. Well over 200 Geoparks exist around the globe; presently none are in the USA. The basis for designation is a geographical area that contains geological heritage of international significance, but a Geopark’s fuller mission according to UNESCO is to “explore, develop and celebrate the links between that geological heritage and all other aspects of the area’s natural, cultural, and intangible heritages.” The Baraboo Hills, bisected by the boundary between glaciated and unglaciated landscapes, offer a surprising level of geodiversity with dramatic peaks, canyons, cliffs, waterfalls, and massive exposures of the somewhat rare and certainly ancient Baraboo quartzite. The Hills, with a broad array of land managers on public and privately owned land, have already garnered national designations. We followed a published approach that combined qualitative and quantitative methods to inventory and assess 62 sites within the region for their scientific, educational, and touristic merit, along with degradation risk. We expanded on that method in two significant ways. First, we combined those four established metrics into a meaningful summary metric (Importance) to improve intra-site comparisons. We also applied geospatial modeling (Kernel Density Surface) across the study area to examine spatial relationships in our data and to determine a perimeter to encompass the area that would benefit from unified protection—a strategy that could enhance future Geopark proposals. This research highlights the significant geological heritage of the Baraboo Hills and documents the region’s potential for Geopark designation.