Door County Environmental Council Column

Entrance to group camping area of South Norway Road in Potawatomi State Park. Photo by Jerry Viste.

In a relatively intact woodland area adjacent to South Norway Road at the south end of Potawatomi Park, a large forested area estimated at 25 acres is being selectively cleared out in preparation for a large group camping facility.

An unknown number of trees have been removed, so it is difficult to assess an accurate number of trees destroyed to make way for the two group camping areas and the needed amenities to serve these campers. Included is an area for tent campers and another designated for recreational vehicles, plus two vaulted toilet facilities, wells for fresh water, centralized fire pits and picnic tables.

The projected cost of this new camping facility is $347,000, with part of the funding coming from stewardship funds and the balance from federal land and water conservation funds.

Any construction by state agencies, including the DNR, falls under the criteria of the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA), which is the official watchdog over all state agency spending. Construction projects in excess of $100,000 are grouped as Class II WEPA projects and mandate a public hearing and notification to make the general public and affected individuals aware of the plans.

The argument is being made that the public is asking for these facilities, so they need to be in place to serve the public’s needs. It is interesting to note that a privately-owned, similar camping facility is within 20 acres directly outside Potawatomi State Park boundaries. It would appear that these new park facilities will be in direct competition with a private enterprise offering similar services next door.

A trend seems to be emerging to change these and other publicly-owned lands into a means of generating income for the State of Wisconsin, forgetting the preservation and conservation ethic of the past.

Is this the direction Wisconsin needs to pursue?

The 1987 Master Plan for Potawatomi State Park can be accessed by going to: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/Master_Planning/completed_archive/parks_trails/potawatomi