Wisconsin offers many opportunities for many types of outdoor recreation. However, the supply of some opportunities has not kept up with growing demand, and some opportunities have declined because of urban and suburban development and economic factors.
Here are some numbers:
|
Public hunting lands (acres) |
3,000,000 |
|
Campsites |
60,000 |
|
Snowmobile trails (miles) |
15,210 |
|
Inland lakes |
15,000 |
|
Streams |
12,500 |
|
Canoe landings |
4,600 |
|
Ice fishing access points |
4,500 |
|
Hiking trails (miles) |
3,597 |
|
Cross-country ski trails (miles) |
3,589 |
|
Boat launch ramps |
3,400 |
|
Baseball/softball diamonds |
2,450 |
|
Places with play equipment |
2,400 |
|
Picnic areas |
2,300 |
|
Horse trails (miles) |
1,601 |
|
ATV trails (year-round, miles) |
1,236 |
|
Tennis areas |
915 |
|
Great Lakes shoreline (miles) |
820 |
|
Football/soccer fields |
625 |
|
Bicycle trails (miles) |
601 |
|
Ice skating rinks |
580 |
|
County parks |
568 |
|
Golf courses |
404 |
|
Swimming beaches |
200 |
|
Swimming pools |
200 |
|
County fairs |
78 |
|
Downhill ski areas |
64 |
|
Designated rustic roads |
56 |
|
State parks |
55 |
|
County forests |
28 |
|
State forests |
10 |
|
State Historical Society sites |
7 |
|
National forests |
2 |
The 1990 Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Study, through a survey answered by 2,607 people, found that about 2,110,000 Wisconsin adults (54 percent of the adult population) enjoyed outdoor recreation in the previous year.
The survey asked about camping; fishing; swimming and boating; walking, running and riding; hunting and shooting; nature and wildlife; games and sports; and events and sightseeing. One third of all adults enjoyed activities in five or more of these categories.
The sightseeing and event category was the most popular. Forty-seven percent, about 1,820,000 adults, visited zoos, attended ball games or enjoyed any of the other activities in this group. Next came nature and wildlife observation, enjoyed by 46 percent, or 1,790,000 adults.
The most popular of 57 specific activities require little or no equipment or skills. Attending fairs, festivals and amusement parks was the most popular, reported by 42 percent of adults. Next most popular were enjoying the outdoors, no specific activity (40 percent); driving for pleasure or scenic enjoyment (38 percent); hiking or walking for pleasure (37 percent); and watching birds or other wildlife around home (35 percent).
The most popular activities needing more skill or equipment are motorboat cruising, bicycling, fishing, swimming in outdoor pools, and golf. The least common forms of outdoor recreation require much skill and equipment (tent camping at remote sites, kayaking, and sailing), are relatively new activities (Jet-skiing and windsurfing), or are available only in limited areas (turkey hunting and Great Lakes fishing).
People often travel to enjoy outdoor recreation. Residents of the DNR Southeast District, especially, often leave their more urban habitat for rural areas elsewhere in the state. For events and sightseeing, the Southeast District was most frequently used. Residents were most likely to stay near home for swimming and boating; walking, running, and riding; and nature and wildlife observation.
Campers most often went to state parks and private campgrounds. Hunters used friends' and relatives' land more often than public land or land requiring a fee. Anglers most likely fished inland lakes from boats. Swimmers and boaters used a variety of public and private facilities. While walkers, hikers and bikers most often use roadways and sidewalks, cross country skiers most often use city, county and state parks.
Crowding, lack of fish and game, distance from recreation sites, and inadequate facilities were among the problems reported. Some types of recreation have more problems than others. For example, "crowding by others doing the same activity" was reported to be a problem by only 16 percent of runners, walkers and riders, but by 48 percent of hunters. However, within each category crowding was among the most frequent problems. Some problems occur only very rarely. Poor scenery, for example, was reported by less than one percent of anglers and four percent of people doing walking, running, or riding.
Needs and priorities were determined on the basis of the survey, supply data, population projections, national trends, and comments made at SCORP meetings in seven Wisconsin cities.
Priorities vary from district to district. District priorities are in relation to other needs in the same district; therefore a high priority in one district may not mean a greater need than a medium priority in another.
In the following list, priorities are the same statewide and in all districts except as noted. Some differences result because travelers were considered in setting district priorities.
High priority needs
Medium priority needs
Low priority needs
The most important outdoor recreation issues in Wisconsin concern protecting the environment and providing outdoor recreational opportunities and the means for meeting these goals.
Issues relating to the goal of a healthful and attractive environment for recreation are:
Issues relating to providing more and better recreational opportunities are:
Issues relating to the means for meeting environmental and recreational goals are:
The plan makes 72 policy recommendations to deal with the issues. Seven recommendations have very high priority because of the effect their implementation will make on the quality of outdoor recreation, the severity of related problems, the importance of prompt action, the degree of public support, and the feasibility of implementation. They are:
Other recommendations call for:
Wisconsin's wetlands enhance the water supply, contribute to flood control, and support abundant and varied plants and wildlife. Wetlands also are settings for many kinds of recreation and provide scenic open space.
For many years, Wisconsin wetlands were drained and filled with careless abandon, leaving only a fraction of the estimated 10 million acres of wetlands that once existed.
Now, there are numerous federal, state, and private efforts intended to preserve, restore, and improve wetlands.
In Wisconsin, wetlands are protected through several programs of the DNR, often in cooperation with federal agencies and nonprofit organizations. Priority criteria correspond with program goals and objectives, such as improving hunting or protecting endangered resources.
The federal acquisition of wetlands in Wisconsin is significant, with the Department of the Interior as the primary purchaser. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has purchased thousands of acres of wetlands for waterfowl production areas.
Nonprofit conservation organizations acquire wetlands and undertake lobbying and public education to promote wetland protection. Wisconsin's Stewardship program advocates a public-private partnership in wetland protection, and fosters private acquisition of wetlands with public funding.
The legislative history of wetland protection is complicated. If federal and state requirements seem redundant or overlapping, it is largely due to the variety of agencies and programs that have assumed some responsibility for wetlands.
Visitors to wetlands participate in a variety of activities that are enhanced by the wetland setting. However, such human access raises certain environmental concerns.
This plan incorporates a number of DNR recommendations. At the state level, they include expansion of wetland regulatory jurisdiction, improvement of state oversight mechanisms, bolstering program enforcement, aid to local governments, and public information and education programs. At the national level, the DNR has recommended clear objectives, a cabinet-level environmental agency, federal regulatory standards with state and local administration, no compensatory mitigation in regulatory decisions, designation of special wetland resources, and fiscal resources for updating and digitizing wetland inventory maps.
An administrative rule setting standards for wetlands was approved in March 1991. Some of the provisions of this rule were being debated in the Legislature in summer 1991.
For more information on this topic, ask Bonnie Gruber, (608) 267-7459.
The Official Internet site for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources