Trails funding

[kbrabandParticipant]

Here’s Email I received today from one of the DNR officials the WGA worked with regarding the state geocaching policy. I didn’t attach the pdf she included, but it can be found online with a little Googling.

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I am forwarding on a series of important messages from Brigit Brown, WI State Trails Coordinator. I hope you will take the time to contribute your thoughts to these critical decisions coming up. Feel free to contact either of us with questions ([email protected], 608.266.7617 or Brigit – dot – brown – at – wi – dot – gov, 608.266.2183). Another e-mail will follow.

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Kate Zurlo-Cuva
Friends & Volunteer Coordinator
DNR – Wisconsin State Park System
101 S. Webster Street, PR/6
Madison, WI 53707-7921
Voice: 608.266.7617
Fax: 608.267.7474
http://fwsp.org

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Hi Folks,

Attached is the announcement of public hearings concerning the proposed changes to Department of Natural Resources’ Administrative Code. Proposed changes of interest include: a $5 increase to the cost of a annual state trail pass (from $15 to $20), rules regarding motorcycles and their use on DNR properties, language to clarify the purpose and management of State Ice Age Trail Areas, and rules concerning camping in state parks.

Information about all of the proposals and a link to the text of the proposals are available online: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/other/nr45.html.

Hearings will be held:

April 16 in Madison

April 23 in Milwaukee

April 25 in Wausau

Comments may also be submitted via the internet: http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov, and written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Ms. Kate Fitzgerald, Bureau of Facilities and Lands, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Comments are now being accepted and may be submitted until May 4, 2007.

Please help me get the word out on these proposals and forward this e-mail to others, post it on your websites, etc. This is an opportunity to participate in the process of making rules that may affect you!

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The Federal Highway Administration issued their 2007 Rescission notice last week (attached). In accordance with to this notice, Wisconsin has to come up with $66 million in cuts to programs funded by federal transportation dollars. This means that these cuts could potentially come from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and Transportation Enhancements (TE). These cuts could come from project awards that have been promised but not yet granted (earmarks and projects from 2006, for example), as well as cuts to future program amounts.

This is big, so I will repeat: There is a very real possibility that some of these cuts will come from the already anemic* TE program here in Wisconsin or from the RTP. *Only about half of the allowable amount is actually spent on the TE program.

Motorized users, silent sports, self-propelled, mechanized, commuters – no matter what your interests, these cuts could affect everyone of you and we need to help to make sure these important but oversubscribed funding sources are not impacted by these rescissions!

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Contact your state elected officials (including the Governor) and urge them to NOT take the rescissions to Wisconsin’s federal transportation dollars out of TE or RTP!!
Spread the word to others about these potential cuts!
Decisions on where the rescissions will come from will be made within the next 30 days.

For more information on this issue, please see the e-mail below from American Trails. The message only focuses on TE (another message will be coming out from American Trails today or tomorrow on RTP), but again, the rescission could affect both TE and RTP.

Transportation Enhancements and the Recreational Trails Program represent the largest source of funding for trails in Wisconsin. Since their creation in the early 1990’s, these specific programs have helped to pay for many (if not most) bike paths, ATV tracks, bike lanes, mountain bike trails, important snowmobile and ATV route connectors, and horse trails here in Wisconsin.

Please take action today!

Brigit E. Brown
State Trails Coordinator
Wisconsin State Park System
101 S. Webster Street, Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921

[zumaParticipant]

Thanks for posting this info Ken. I read thru it, and it seems to me that it boils down to 2 seperate issues that will impact geocaching in Wisconsin, and we therefore might want to take a position, and even write our elected officials.

The first issue is the proposal to increase fees on bike trails. There are many geocaches on bike trails, and these are often some of our most enjoyable caches. The proposal is to raise the annual pass from 15 bucks to 20 bucks. Most of us probably purchase an annual pass, instead of the daily pass. To me, an annual pass to all of the great trails in WI is worth 20 bucks. So, personally, I dont think an extra 5 bucks for an annual bike trail pass is that big of a deal, but I would be interested in what others have to say.

The second issue is a bit more complex, but in my mind more important. And that is related to the cut in funding by federal transportation dollars, that could come out of funding for new trails. Rails to Trails inititives have been very successful in this state, and I enjoyed them greatly even prior to geocaching. Now with the added incentive to visit them for geocaches, we all have a reason to support increased funding for Rails to Trails inititives, and the development of new trails. If the Recreational Trails Program is cut, we will likely not see new trails developed. Personnaly, I will be contacting my legislators on this issue, but I am also interested in hearing what others may think about this issue.

zuma

[EnergySaverMember]

“silent sports” … is that what geocaching fits into? If so, I can tell me kids to be quiet while we’re geocaching!

[Author]

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