2001 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan
Introduction

The Wisconsin State Trails Strategic Plan (1993) clarifies the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) role and mission of providing all types of trails, and spells out strategies for carrying out this mission. The 1993 plan foresaw the need for a blueprint for implementing the strategies that would contain specific recommendations for a statewide network of state-owned or state-designated recreational trails.

Thus, the State Recreational Trails Network Plan identifies a series of potential trail corridors across Wisconsin that would link existing trails, public lands, natural features, and communities. It describes a vision of a statewide network of interconnected trails into which smaller state, partnership, county, municipal and private trails feed. Preserving corridors for future use is a very important consideration when converting a rail line to a recreational and alternative transportation corridor. Under current Federal Law, once preserved the corridor will remain available for future rail use.

Now that this plan has been approved by the Natural Resources Board it is an amendment to the Wisconsin State Trail Strategic Plan and provides authorization for the DNR to pursue acquisition of any abandoned rail grade or other corridor identified in the plan. The plan will also be incorporated into the DNR's Land Legacy Study which will identify recreational land acquisition needs for the next 50 years.

Once the DNR negotiates with the rail company or the Department of Transportation (DOT) to acquire abandoned rail lines, project staff will need to prepare abbreviated feasibility studies that address issues of converting the corridor to a recreational trail, and identify local support for the trail, economic impact, manageability and potential uses of the trail. After the feasibility study is completed, a master plan that identifies allowable trail uses is developed with public input. The feasibility study and development of the master plan should consider other plans and planning processes, including comprehensive plans that are required under the Smart Growth legislation.

This network mainly consists of rail-based trails and utility corridors that occasionally employ road connections.

Existing state and county converted rail corridors, "rails-to-trails," are integral parts of the proposed statewide trail network.

Natural feature corridors such as the Ice Age National and State Scenic Trail are also an important component of the overall network.

Many of the existing state trails are developed and operated in successful partnerships with counties. By agreement the DNR acquires the corridor and the county government(s) develop, operate, and maintain the trail.

Many counties have taken the initiative to provide rail-trails with little or no assistance from the DNR beyond the initial acquisition.

Purpose

This plan identifies a statewide network of trails and provides guidance to the DNR for effectively utilizing its limited funding for land acquisition and development. Maps in this plan detail the potential trail network for each of DNR’s five regions and tables provide information on each trail segment, followed by more detailed descriptions of each trail segment and reasons why these segments are important to the overall trail network in the state.

What is a Trail?

For this plan the definition of a trail encompasses trails that range from facilities such as a rail trail with at-grade or separated grade crossings such as a bridge over a road or a box culvert under a road, to roadside shoulders or a path beside a roadway.

On-road trails are limited to bicyclists, or in many cases occasional hiker use, whereas other, "separated" state trails accommodate various non-motorized and motorized users to include hikers, wheelchair users, bicyclists, equestrians, cross country skiers, in-line skaters, skiers, snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, snowshoes, dogsledders and four-wheel drive vehicles. The uses of separated trails are determined during the master planning process, which considers the physical characteristics of the trail, compatibility of users, local ordinances and public input.

The department is committed to expanding trail opportunities for people with disabilities during the trail feasibility and master planning processes. The DNR will comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Accessibility Guidelines.

Trail segments within the corridors will change over time, as some opportunities open and others fail to materialize. Therefore, this plan should be continually updated and improved. If one corridor becomes available, another similar or parallel corridor may no longer be necessary and can be removed from an updated version of this plan. Due to the uncertainty of future rail abandonment it is important to list all corridors that could link to the statewide network. It is highly unlikely that all the rail corridors identified in this plan will ever be abandoned or available for trail use.

Relationship to other Plans

County and Municipal Plans

This plan, which focuses on major corridors statewide, acknowledges that many local units of government have or are working on plans to develop trail systems through their communities to provide citizens the opportunity to recreate and commute safely. The intent is to look at the big picture and due to the scale of this plan it therefore does not include many of the segments that local units of government are currently working on.

The DNR, however, acknowledges their importance at both a regional and statewide level. DNR will continue to work with counties and municipalities to develop and incorporate these important local links within the network. Local governments should continue working on the development of their local trail systems as they have in the past looking for opportunities to connect to the statewide network.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) Plans

In keeping with DNR’s mission for providing outdoor recreation, this plan focuses on recreational trails. However, often no clear distinction exists between recreation and transportation uses of trails. Most recreation trails can also be used for transportation, just as most trails planned primarily for transportation can also be used for recreation. For this reason DNR and DOT are consulting with one another on their respective trail and pedestrian-bicycle plans.

The DOT completed the Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan 2020 in December 1998. The plan highlights seven key inter-city trails that are important links to the state trail network. Many other inter-city bicycle connections were also presented in the plan. Paved shoulder improvements in combination with the identification of low volume roadways were recommended as appropriate ways to make these connections. The seven trails considered to be key linkages on state highways include:

• Urban Trail from Eau Claire to Chippewa Falls
• Badger State Trail from Madison to Belleville
• Wild Rivers Trail from Rice Lake to Cameron
• Lakefront Trail from South Milwaukee to the Racine County Trail
• Wiouwash Trail from New London to the Waupaca/Shawano County Line
• Hurley to Upson Segment
• North Hudson to Houlton

The Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan 2020 also recommends urban and community trails and endorses the 14 metropolitan area bicycle and pedestrian plans. All the plans make recommendations for bicycle and/or pedestrian facilities. Lastly, the Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan 2020 makes a strong recommendation to consider "safe and convenient bicycle access (likely to be paved shoulders) to trailheads that are located within reasonable distances of communities." Connections were not specified project-by-project in the plan, but are recommended for the statewide trail network based on the above language.

The DOT has both a State Highway Plan and a Six-Year Highway Improvement Program. The latter identifies projects, planned year of work and the anticipated nature of the work (e.g., re-paving, reconstruction, etc.) for state highways. The vast majority of projects are relatively simple improvements, such as re-paving a highway or existing two-lane roadway. In these cases the construction of a separated, freestanding trail is impractical.

DNR Land Legacy Study

The State Trails Plan focuses on meeting recreational trail demands and is not intended to address ecologically based corridor needs. These are addressed in the DNR's assessment of future needs for public land ownership, a project under way in the DNR's Land Legacy Study. The Land Legacy Study evaluates the land and area types possibly appropriate for public ownership to meet conservation and recreation needs over the next 50 years. The State Trails Network Plan will be an important component in identifying recreation needs and opportunities, and will be a component of the Land Legacy Study.

DNR Strategic Plan

The State Trails Network Plan supports the concept of sound planning with communities and other state agencies along identified corridors and segments to provide the citizens of the state access to trails that provide a long list of benefits. These benefits are consistent with the goals of the DNR's Strategic Plan to provide outdoor recreation and to sustain healthy ecosystems.

2001 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan

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