Ecomunicipality.com

Since the Wisconsin DNR purchased the old rail corridor in 2001, there has been a lot of back and forth over what kind of trail Polk County should build.

Those questions have now been settled due to a lawsuit filed in 2007 that asked a District Court to examine whether Polk County and the WDNR had conducted a proper and legal process leading up to the trail decision.

The court found that they had not.  And more, it found that allowing motorized vehicles on State Trails is not supported by state statutes.  Thus, the new trail will be non-motorized.

However, the struggle to plan, finance and build the trail is not yet over.  In fact, it has just begun.

Hopefully, this site can help coordinate activities, discussion and plans over trail development and disseminate ideas to interested parties.

So pull up a monitor, get out your keyboard and ride along as we get this process under wing.   

Madison's weekly newspaper Isthmus had an article in the Feb. 15
edition about how The Natural Step has taken off in the Chequamegon Bay
area of northern Wisconsin. You can read the article, called "Northern
Wisconsin seeks sustainability," here.

UW Extension is sponsoring a workshop called "Understanding Zoning and Its Uses and Implications" Wednesday evening, March 26, beginning at 7 p.m.
in the Government Center in Balsam Lake. While the intended audience is
members of local comprehensive planning commissions, the public is also
welcome to attend. There is a $10 registration fee, which can be mailed
to Plan Commission Workshop Series, UWEX Cooperative Extension, 100
Polk Plaza, Suite 210, Balsam Lake, WI 54810. 

I
know that questions about zoning have come up in some Natural Step
study circles, so this is a good opportunity to get answers. The
following topics will be covered: