The master planning process for the Woodboro Lakes Wildlife Area is moving forward.
The state DNR has released a summary of public comments.
As DNR planner Yoyi Steele explains, many people weighed in with concern over a proposal for an ATV trail.
“There are people that want it and people that don’t; for this particular input process we did hear more from people that were opposed to it than people that were in favor, but we did definitely hear from people who were in favor.”
The latest round of public comment will be added toinput collected last year when the trail was first proposed.
Silent sports advocates worry it would impact the environment and disrupt quiet recreation.
But local ATV clubs say it follows an existing snowmobile trail and would enhance access to the area.
The DNR says it plans to have a draft master plan to the public by early summer, and complete the process this year.
Steele says planners will take public input into account, along with the property’s physical characteristics.
“It’s the public’s wildlife area – we look at how do people use the property? What do people want to see on the property? And so we have all these factors that we consider – but we have to find a way to balance them all.”
If an ATV trail is included in the Master Plan, Woodboro Lakes would be the first wildlife area in the state to allow ATV access.
