Promoting quiet recreation in Wisconsin.
Opposing the coming attempts to sell off Wisconsin's natural heritage.
Fighting denial about climate change. When are we hitting the streets?


Thursday, September 29, 2005

Some thoughts about the stakeholder's meeting....

-I want to focus on two arguments presented at the stakeholder's meetings concerning expanding ATV use into the NHAL forest:

First of all, one argument seems to be solely about money. ATV users ante up a lot of money through their fees, therefore, they should have rights (over and above other user's rights, and the rights of residents in Vilas County). I argue that silent sports users need to have an equivalent user fee. Like the scarecrow's brain, the cowardly lion's nerve, and the tin man's heart, the silence in silent sports won't ever really "exist" as far as the state is concerned without a user's fee.

Second point: ATV users argue that they need more trails than they have (between 5000 and 9000 miles!) to accomodate increasing numbers. But the total number of miles added by a simple connecting link trail in the NHAL forest would be negligible. Either ATV clubs have in mind a much more expansive series of trails in the forest, or their argument falls. One connecting trail isn't going to do much to lessen the "pressure" they describe.

Third point: I think we need to try to be several steps ahead here. There are only a certain number of possible "linking points", a certain number of areas that aren't obviously wetlands or lakes that would provide a corridor for an ATV trail. I think we should draw up possible maps. Are there two or three points that would almost HAVE to be the areas an ATV trail would go through to get from trail to trail?

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