Forest county could eventually see a 10,000 acre ATV park located there.
The Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park Inc, a non-profit group, has finished a second study to see whether a park would be viable. The latest study was done by North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Prior to that, a study was done by Ripon College on the economic effects.
President John Schnorr says the group feels the park would draw people from many areas..
"....our research shows a facility like that would be a huge boon not just for Forest county but for the entire Northwoods..."
Schnorr says the Ripon study was a business plan and the other study identified 8 areas within Forest county that could be viable spots for a park. He declined to name them at this time citing competitive reasons....
"...we wanted to stay away from residential areas, we considered undeveloped areas, floodplains, wetlands, private, state, tribal ownership. All of those factors were considered to help them determine a few ideal sites..."
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He says the park has caught the eye of state agencies and they want to formalize a plan first...
"......there has been some interest at the Department of Natural Resources as well as the Department of Tourism. We hope to have a decision with them after we meet with them later this summer.(The meetings) should give us a little more concrete idea..."
Schnorr says they also would like to do some fundraising. The Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park, Inc. is hosting it's annual membership meeting Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Potawatomi Carter Casino and Hotel at Wabeno. The meeting is open to the public.
