This document consists of an email exchange dated November 21, 2022, between City of Superior Councilor Jenny Van Sickle and Wisconsin DNR Northern Region staff, including Connie Antonuk and Cherie Hagen, with additional copies to local officials and DNR management. The message serves as a follow-up to ongoing discussions regarding the Paine Property conservation easement located in Superior, Wisconsin. The conversation is part of a multi-month inquiry concerning the boundaries, historical intent, and possible modifications to the existing conservation easement tied to the Barker’s Island Bird Sanctuary and adjacent habitat areas.

In the highlighted correspondence, Connie Antonuk informs Councilor Van Sickle that the DNR is actively preparing a formal response to the City’s easement proposal. She indicates that Northern Region Secretary Director James Yach will soon contact Economic Development Director Jason Serck to discuss next steps, and she offers to include Van Sickle in that discussion upon request. This communication underscores the DNR’s continued internal review of the Paine family’s request to revise or reduce the easement boundaries, as well as the City’s inquiries into compliance issues and available documentation.

The message chain contained in the document also references prior communications dating back to August, September, and October 2022. Those earlier emails outline the City’s efforts to coordinate with DNR real estate and regional staff, gather historical easement records, confirm ownership history involving Thomas and Fred Paine, and understand the original rationale for the 1989 limited development easement protecting coastal wetlands and fisheries habitat. City and DNR officials had been working together to compile maps, deeds, and summary statements necessary for evaluating potential changes to the easement.

The November 21, 2022 email reinforces the collaborative posture both the City and the DNR have maintained throughout this process. While no final determination is presented in this document, it reflects steady progress in coordinating agency review, preparing formal responses, and engaging all relevant stakeholders. It demonstrates the City’s continued willingness to support the DNR’s information-gathering efforts and the DNR’s commitment to timely communication regarding its assessment of the Paine Property conservation easement.

• Wisconsin DNR – Land & Easements Program
  https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/lands

• City of Superior City Council Information
  https://www.ci.superior.wi.us/27/City-Council

• Wisconsin Register of Deeds Directory (property documentation)
  https://www.wrdaonline.org/registers-of-deeds-directory