RAT RIVER RECREATIONAL TRAIL PROJECT APPENDIX B

COMMENTS AND RESPONSES TO THE COMMENT PERIOD

Commenter’s:

1. Joe Palmer 

2. Jerry and Marilyn Knuth

3. Michael Stueck

4. Eileen Pager-Williams

5. Forest Co. Board of 

Supervisors

6. John Cuff

7. Christopher Rogg

8. David Batrz

9. Lynn Hoselton

10. Sheryl Pethers

11. Sue Banie

12. Otto Hoepner

13. Tom Gile

14. Ted Ison

15. Town of Blackwell

16. Norm and Judy Koch

17. Ted Banie

18. Mike Mentz

19. Gary Mueller

20. Clair Carty

21. Tom Tallier

22. Thomas Cota

23. Wi. Duel Sports Riders

Comment 

Number

Commenter

Number

Comment and response

A. 1, 2, 4-8,

10-22

Comment-In favor of the project

Response- Thank you for your comment

B. 2, 23 Comment- Leave the area open for hunting, fishing, and trapping. 

Leave part of FR 3220 open for fishing.

Response- Areas for those activities are regulated by the state and 

therefore outside the scope of this project. Access to the area would 

be non-motorized, as leaving FR 3220 open would not meet the 

purpose and need for this project-which is a non-motorized trail.

C 3 Comment-Why are you closing roads and are they being used for 

hunting?

Response-We are closing roads for safety of the non-motorized users;

it has nothing to do with hunting. For hunting see #B

D 9 Comment-Blackwell residences do not support this project.

Response-Thank you for your comment

E 4, 6, 9, 10, Comment-Bear Lake campers support/do not support this project

Response-One opinion said that the campers did not want the trail and 

several said they did. Thank you for your comment.

F 9 Comment-“We believe the Rat River Recreational Trail is being 

proposed solely for the benefit of the seasonal residents of Bear Lake 

Home owners Association”. Commenter repeated this later. The Bear 

Lake residences should enjoy the area the way we do.

Response- This is a RAC proposal from the Town of Blackwell-not the 

Bear Lake Home Owners Association. Town of Blackwell submitted a 

letter to the FS on In July 2009. The letter indicated that Town Board 

had passed a resolution requesting the Forest Service to consider a 

joint project with the Town of Blackwell to utilize the old railroad 

grade from Blackwell Junction Road through Blackwell and ending at 

the Rat River Road for a non-motorized trail. The Blackwell’s Land 
Rat River Recreation Trail Project

2

Plan Commission is working on a Comprehensive Plan that suggested 

this project as a way to increase tourism in the area. 

The Town of Blackwell adopted the Comprehensive Plan in January 

2010. The plan identified the “Possible development of non-motorized 

multi-use rails to trail project” (Pg.29; Chapter 1. B. – Issue 

Identification #3). 

FS conducted a field visit to segments of the abandoned railroad 

corridor in the summer of 2010 involving interested local. In July 

2010 Bob Muench, who was representing the Bear Lake Shores 

Association, sent an e-mail proposal to the Forest Service. The letter 

also included the names of several local citizens and a Town of 

Blackwell representative. This proposal was also for a trail from 

Blackwell Junction Road through Blackwell to the Rat River Road. 

In October 2010, Town of Blackwell submitted a proposal to the 

Forest Service for a funding request through the Secure Rural Schools 

and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. The proposal was for 

a trail from Blackwell Junction Road to the Bear Lake Road. The 

Nicolet Resource Advisory Committee approved the proposal.

In summary, the trail proposal proponents include the Town of 

Blackwell, the Bear Lake Shores Association, and other local 

interested citizens.

G 9 Comment- Explain Economic benefit-we believe it’s a myth.

Response- The National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) Results 

National Summary Report states, on page 2 “Visits to National Forest 

lands are an important contribution to the economic vitality of rural 

communities. Spending by recreation visitors in areas surrounding 

National Forests amounts to nearly $13 billion each year.” Also on 

page 5, “Spending by visitors has important effects to the health of 

forest-depended economies.” The NVUM for the ChequamegonNicolet shows that visitors spend anywhere from $34 to $525 per visit.

H 9 Comment-Do not turn a “wilderness experience” into an urban trail.

Response- The Rat River area is not a classified “wilderness”. The 

east side is an old railroad grade and road that is partly open to 

motorized vehicles. One part of the road is open all year around and 

one part is open seasonally for snowmobiles.

I 9 Comments-We are good stewards

Response- Thank you for your comment

J 9 Comment- We are not against a developed non-motorized trail-as long 

as it is not along the Rat River.

Response- Other than short segments, the entire proposed trail is 

located on an abandoned railroad corridor. Converting abandoned 

railroad corridors to trails or roads is a common practice. Following 

the Rat River, the proposed trail location provides scenic and other 

resource viewing opportunities that other locations outside the river 

corridor would not provide. It is these types of opportunities that are 

likely to attract individuals to use the trail. 
Rat River Recreation Trail Project

3

By using the existing corridor, the objectives of providing nonmotorized recreational opportunities to the Town of Blackwell and 

connecting to the Nicolet State Trail are met. By connecting the trail 

to the Bear Lake Road, users of Bear Lake Campground and Bear 

Lake residents will have increased recreational opportunities. To 

meet the same objectives an alternative trail location would require 

significant new construction. In addition, the only Forest Service 

landownership east of the intersection of County Highway’s H and T 

for a distance of one mile is the abandoned railroad corridor. If the 

trail is not located on railroad corridor, then town roads would likely 

have to be used to avoid private land ownership. 

K 9 Comment-Trail will conflict with hunting

Response- The majority of use of the trail is likely to occur from May 

through August which is outside the hunting time periods for grouse 

and deer. Fall use (September and October) of the trail would likely 

be low but would be within the same time period for grouse hunting 

and archery hunting for deer. Hunting will continued to be allowed 

along the trail. State and Federal laws and regulations would still 

apply. Interaction between users would increase which will increase 

safety concerns. Increased human presence could minimally decrease 

game observations. The FS will close the trail for hiking and biking 

during the deer gun season.

L 9 Comment-Comments on the impacts of the Blackwell ATV trail. 

Response- These comments are outside the scope, since the District 

Ranger has already signed the Blackwell Project.

M 9 Comment- Bear Lake residence can use the ATV trail or roads.

Response- Many responders do not want to ride/hike etc. with 

motorized use-see comment R below.

N 9 Comment- The trail would disrupt wildlife.

Response-There would be some disruption, but would likely be minimal. In 

the area surrounding the current open road section, the level of vehicle 

disturbance will be eliminated due to change in road status from open to 

closed. Snowmobile activity will remain the same. The road section that is 

currently closed and not useable by vehicles will have an increase in 

recreational activity but these types of recreational activities will have a 

minimal amount of disturbance that would not make the area unsuitable. 

The proposed recreational activities will not have any effect to the current 

and/or future habitat conditions to wildlife along all sections of roads. 

Habitat that currently exists for all species will continue to be available and 

usable as suitable habitat. No activity from the project will change habitat

status to unsuitable. 

O 9 Comment- There is sensitive and relatively rare forest plants and 

wildflowers on the trail. Wetlands have aquatic plants.

Response- It is true that there are likely many species of forest and 

aquatic plants and wildflowers in areas along the proposed trail, but 

the commenter provides no specific information on which species they 

consider sensitive or rare. The Forest Service is concerned with 
Rat River Recreation Trail Project

4

sensitive and rare plant species and maintains a list of such species on 

the Regional Foresters Sensitive Species (RFSS) list. The Forest 

Service analyzes potential effects to plants on the RFSS list for every 

project. None of the RFSS listed plants are likely to occur on the trail.

P 9 Comment- Project would disrupt the area and not pass a thorough 

environmental impact review.

Response- The NEPA process will analyze the area and possible 

projects impacts. See Chapter 3 of the EA.

Q 9 Comment- We do not know the west side-but are opposed to a trail 

there also.

Response- Thank you for your comment

R 4, 10, 11, 

13, 16-18

Comment-We would enjoy a trail without putting up with motorized 

use.

Response- Thank you for your comment

S 10, 20 Comment- Motorize use would spread NNIP.

Response- Comment noted. The proposed project would reduce 

motorized use on the trail.

T 19 Comment- Some people are reluctant to use unmarked trails.

Response- This project would designate the trail.

U 6, 10, 19, 

and 20

Comment-We tried to use the trail, but it was too rutted.

Response-The surface will be repaired if this project is implemented.

V 23 Comment- Allow the Dual Sports to use FR 3220 for their events that 

they have used for the last eleven years.

Response- The FS wrote the use of FR 3220 for the events into the 

design features.