Their budget is tight, and Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest officials want to hear from the public what they consider to be their most favorite recreational pursuits on the Forest. They're hosting two open houses in the region next week to hear about it.
Forest spokesperson Hilary Markin outlines what they're hoping to hear from the public...
"....so the forest is looking to hear what recreation sites the public enjoys and why. We want to understand why they like that place. Is it because it's nearby a stream or because it's nearby a trail. Why do they like coming to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest...."
Markin says as budgets tighten, priorities need to be placed on the most popular recreational opportunities....
"....We can no longer afford to keep what we have. There's a huge backlog of maintenance. We can't afford to keep everything that we have in the past. We've had closings since 2015 and now it's time to say, 'where are our priorities going to be'? And we want that public input to understand why they use the forest and how they use the forest...."
Markin says recreation assets continue to age and the costs to operate and maintain these sites continues to increase to a level that is beyond the Forest’s capabilities. She says they're looking for innovative solutions from the public.
Markin says the most direct way to give feedback is on theChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest website.
There will also be two open houses Tuesday evening in the region. One open house is from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Crandon City Hall in Crandon...the same night and time an open house will be held at Northcentral Technical College in Phillips.
