Letter from Sue Drum Clarifying the mission of the Stakeholder's group
Hi Mark,
I see in the article that Debbie Munson Badini says the Stakeholders were appointed by the Natural Resources Board. Actually we were appointed by Paul Delong, Chief Forester, and we are supposed to assist and advise the WDNR in recommending ATV trail locations, with an emphasis on regional trail connectors. This stakeholder group was outlined in the NHAL State Forest Master Plan approved by the Natural Resources Board in 2005, the Treehaven meeting at which you testified. The WDNR will look over our recommendations, modify them if they wish and present them, again, to the Natural Resources Board in April 2007.
The article also says that we are, "directed to find trail locations that would have the least impact on the land and that would not displace established state forest users-" with ATV riders. All of our work is supposed to be based on the DNR's 2 year old "Guidance for All-Terrain Vehicle Use on Department Lands". In this publication it states under Social Considerations - "Trails should be located to minimize impacts to other recreational uses, such as camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, hunting, or fishing that are already established on the property. --- Existing appropriate recreational uses will generally have priority over new proposals if conflicts cannot be mitigated. Impacts to other property users, such as noise and dust must be mitigated." I think, hope, Debbie believes the word"displace" is the same as "minimize impacts" when as you were sharp enough to see, if we are not going to "displace" any users we now have a mulitple use trail where motorized and non-motorized mingle happily. I was pretty sure that most of the DNR agreed that this type of multiple use didn't work.
I am really alarmed by the quote from Dennis Leith, " Taking the time to do this right ---- will mean greater success and more possible routes in the future, once the sustainability of the ATV trail is proven." Oh - Oh! We already have over 6,000 miles of ATV trails and routes to prove that these
machines damage the natural environment both off trail (illegal riding) and on trail (legal riding). I really don't like the implication that we will continue to build ATV trails and then decide if they are sustainable. I will ask Dennis about that statement.
In the Criteria for determining ATV use on department lands we are supposed to evaluate the effect of the trail on resources before it is built.
"The trail should not be in a location where significant adverse impacts on natural resources cannot be prevented through proper siting and trail construction and maintenance. --- trails should be located away from identified sensitive areas such as high-quality natural communities, wetlands, nesting areas, wild resources, scenic areas, and unique aquatic or terrestrial habitat. ---Whenever possible trails should be located away from waterways to minimize potential impacts and discourage inappropriate use."
I don't see how we can even suggest a trail so close to the Manitowish River. As John Bates wrote in a letter to Dennis Leith, "The Manitowish wetland complex is listed as a high priority area in the biological inventory done by the state for the master planning process and the river is designated as an Outstanding River by the state".
Mark, on another subject, are you free to testify, Friday, November 10th, 10:00 AM in Merrill at the Merrill City Hall Council Chambers, 1004 First Street , at the State Trails Policy Committee, Chaired by Roger Breske? As you know Joel Patenaude is on the committee and he and Brook Waalen feel it is very important for our side to speak up to counter all the ATV propaganda given by ATV clubs and advocates at the first meeting. October 5, 2006. We will probably be given only 5 minutes to make a point. Let me know if you can go. I'm going to try to coordinate messages with Brook and others so we cover all the major objections to more and more ATV trails. web site again is" www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/3_COMMITTEES/Special%20Committees/2006/TRAIL/index.htm
Sue Drum
11384 CTH B
Presque Isle, WI 54557
715-686-2655
drumsa@centurytel.net
I see in the article that Debbie Munson Badini says the Stakeholders were appointed by the Natural Resources Board. Actually we were appointed by Paul Delong, Chief Forester, and we are supposed to assist and advise the WDNR in recommending ATV trail locations, with an emphasis on regional trail connectors. This stakeholder group was outlined in the NHAL State Forest Master Plan approved by the Natural Resources Board in 2005, the Treehaven meeting at which you testified. The WDNR will look over our recommendations, modify them if they wish and present them, again, to the Natural Resources Board in April 2007.
The article also says that we are, "directed to find trail locations that would have the least impact on the land and that would not displace established state forest users-" with ATV riders. All of our work is supposed to be based on the DNR's 2 year old "Guidance for All-Terrain Vehicle Use on Department Lands". In this publication it states under Social Considerations - "Trails should be located to minimize impacts to other recreational uses, such as camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, hunting, or fishing that are already established on the property. --- Existing appropriate recreational uses will generally have priority over new proposals if conflicts cannot be mitigated. Impacts to other property users, such as noise and dust must be mitigated." I think, hope, Debbie believes the word"displace" is the same as "minimize impacts" when as you were sharp enough to see, if we are not going to "displace" any users we now have a mulitple use trail where motorized and non-motorized mingle happily. I was pretty sure that most of the DNR agreed that this type of multiple use didn't work.
I am really alarmed by the quote from Dennis Leith, " Taking the time to do this right ---- will mean greater success and more possible routes in the future, once the sustainability of the ATV trail is proven." Oh - Oh! We already have over 6,000 miles of ATV trails and routes to prove that these
machines damage the natural environment both off trail (illegal riding) and on trail (legal riding). I really don't like the implication that we will continue to build ATV trails and then decide if they are sustainable. I will ask Dennis about that statement.
In the Criteria for determining ATV use on department lands we are supposed to evaluate the effect of the trail on resources before it is built.
"The trail should not be in a location where significant adverse impacts on natural resources cannot be prevented through proper siting and trail construction and maintenance. --- trails should be located away from identified sensitive areas such as high-quality natural communities, wetlands, nesting areas, wild resources, scenic areas, and unique aquatic or terrestrial habitat. ---Whenever possible trails should be located away from waterways to minimize potential impacts and discourage inappropriate use."
I don't see how we can even suggest a trail so close to the Manitowish River. As John Bates wrote in a letter to Dennis Leith, "The Manitowish wetland complex is listed as a high priority area in the biological inventory done by the state for the master planning process and the river is designated as an Outstanding River by the state".
Mark, on another subject, are you free to testify, Friday, November 10th, 10:00 AM in Merrill at the Merrill City Hall Council Chambers, 1004 First Street , at the State Trails Policy Committee, Chaired by Roger Breske? As you know Joel Patenaude is on the committee and he and Brook Waalen feel it is very important for our side to speak up to counter all the ATV propaganda given by ATV clubs and advocates at the first meeting. October 5, 2006. We will probably be given only 5 minutes to make a point. Let me know if you can go. I'm going to try to coordinate messages with Brook and others so we cover all the major objections to more and more ATV trails. web site again is" www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/3_COMMITTEES/Special%20Committees/2006/TRAIL/index.htm
Sue Drum
11384 CTH B
Presque Isle, WI 54557
715-686-2655
drumsa@centurytel.net
posted by Mark Haag at 1:49 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home