ATV and Hazardous Wake Update
Hello, I'm Robert Berdan. I’ve served as the President of the Last Wilderness Alliance (LWA) Board of Directors since the organization’s inception just four months ago when 18 individuals first gathered together in response to the Presque Isle Town Board’s 2-1 surprise decision to open all town roads to ATVs, without any public input or discussion.
Another matter that LWA felt compelled to address was the Hazardous Wake Ordinance, written at the request of the Presque Isle Town Board, but shelved following the election of the Town Board's new chairman, John MacLean. Had that Ordinance been approved, it would have regulated the artificial creation of hazardous wakes which will otherwise destroy the pristine lakes and rivers of Presque Isle.
Know that LWA remains committed to moving forward to protect our waterways by advocating for the approval of the Hazardous Wake Ordinance, and by regulating safe routes and signage for ATVs, but making law, and forcing action, will be expensive. You have our commitment to follow through with our concerns about hazardous wakes and ATVs, but to continue to do so we will need financial help from each of you to preserve and protect “Wisconsin’s Last Wilderness.” If you can contribute again, that would be wonderful, and if you haven’t contributed yet, we hope you will consider doing so.
Please visit our website lastwildernessalliance.org to donate and review our resource materials and past updates.
Here is a status report about our impact on each of these issues and where we are today.
ATVs: LWA has kept the Town’s 2-1 approval of ATV’s front and center. A survey commissioned by LWA, and tabulated by an independent accounting firm, reached out to all registered voters, property owners, and business owners in Presque Isle and was very telling. The results closely tracked the results of surveys previously conducted in Boulder Junction, Winchester, and Manitowish Waters with 56% of respondents opposed to ATVs in Presque Isle and 43% in favor of ATVs. This is a decisive 13% swing!! Sadly, the majority of the Town Board doesn’t seem to be concerned with the wishes of the community.
At the Vilas County Board level, revisions to Chapter 26 “Motorized Recreational Trails and Routes Ordinance” were in progress, and the Presque Isle request to open up all County roads in Presque Isle (Hwys M, B, K and P) were incorporated into the new County Ordinance. LWA members provided spoken and written testimony at seven county committee and Board meetings throughout this process. As a result, county personnel responded and re-wrote portions of Chapter 26. While some critical changes were incorporated into the amendments to Chapter 26, the outcome remains unsettling. Not only were all county roads in Presque Isle approved for ATV traffic, but the neighboring communities of Boulder Junction, Winchester, and Manitowish Waters, which do not allow ATV traffic on town roads, are at risk of any entity, such as a neighboring community's ATV club, requesting additional county roads be open to ATV traffic. Several positives were achieved as Chapter 26 moved through the county committees and Board. Foremost, all future requests in other municipalities will require a safety study by the Vilas County Highway Commissioner. And, any requests to open county roads will necessitate a 30 day notice be given to any affected Town, preserving some modicum of local control. Sadly, the roads opened in Presque Isle weren't subjected to any safety analysis at either the Town or County level. Fortunately, ATV traffic so far has been minimal, as there are no ATV trails in the Township.
LWA members will continue to monitor ATV traffic within Presque Isle and to exert influence from positions on several town committees as the Town gets a better look at ATV practices in future months. It will also look to an ultimate reversal of these actions at the ballot box. LWA also stands ready to assist our neighboring communities should further requests to open roads occur.
Hazardous Wake Ordinance: Overwhelming support exists in Presque Isle to quell a growing menace on our waterways. When the Town's Ordinance Committee surveyed public sentiment on the issue, 83% supported enacting an Ordinance. Subsequent LWA petitions drew more than 150 signatures, almost twice the number of signatures required, requesting Direct Legislation on the proposed Hazardous Wake Ordinance. Seven of our Lake's Associations have also asked the Town to regulate hazardous wakes on our larger waterways. Nevertheless, 2 Town Supervisors have refused to act, necessitating the commencement of a legal action to compel the Town Board to either approve the pending Ordinance or place it on the ballot for voter approval/disapproval in the spring election of 2022. The gist of the issue will be whether a Town can be compelled, by elector demand, to take action. Unfortunately, this case will be a case of first impression in Wisconsin - to force the Town to take action - despite the fact that 6 other municipalities in Wisconsin have already seen fit to regulate hazardous wakes.
Thank you again for signing on to our LWA list-serve and for your support. We will continue to do our best to represent all of the ongoing concerns described in this update, and any and all solutions to assist our local communities as they address these issues.
Robert Berdan, President
Last Wilderness Alliance
Visit our website: lastwildernessalliance.org to contribute or you may send your contribution to Last Wilderness Alliance PO Box 265 Presque Isle, WI 54557.
You can also communicate and give us your feedback via e-mail at lastwildern...@gmail.com.