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RV park proposal on Namekagon raises dangers of river impacts<!-- wp:image "id":58960,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none" --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_1984-933x600.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-58960"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kayaking the Namekagon River close to Heartwood Resort. (Greg Seitz/St. Croix 360)</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A resort alongside the Namekagon River is proposing a serious growth to incorporate campgrounds for leisure automobiles, elevating considerations about impacts on the St. Croix’s largest tributary. The plan requires Heartwood Resort to open up its 760 acres to RVs, looking for to turn out to be a vacation spot for guests who take pleasure in using ATVs. River advocates are saying it might considerably have an effect on folks and wildlife alongside a lovely stretch of river.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heartwood Resort is situated on the decrease Namekagon adjoining to Howell Touchdown, close to Trego, about 17 miles above the Namekagon’s confluence with the St. Croix. It was begun by Chicagoans within the Twenties, later operated as a Boy Scout camp, and has handed by quite a few homeowners within the intervening many years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In December 2019, a Prior Lake, Minn. man who already owns a number of different entertainment-related companies in northern Wisconsin bought Heartwood. Mark Wallskog now desires so as to add about 140 websites for leisure automobiles to the property. A second part might double the campsites. The sting of the primary proposed campground can be lower than a tenth of a mile from the Namekagon River. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The request will likely be thought-about by the Washburn County zoning committee at a public listening to on April 11.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Trigger for considerations</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image "id":6680,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none" --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/howell-landing-namekagon.jpg" alt="Howell Landing, Namekagon River (NPS photo)" class="wp-image-6680"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Howell Touchdown, Namekagon River (NPS picture)</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wild Rivers Conservancy of the Namekagon and St. Croix is opposing the proposal, saying it represents quite a few threats to a secluded part of the river.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”Once you kayak or canoe this extremely stunning stretch of the river, it seems like you might be in an undeveloped wilderness,” wrote government director Deb Ryun in a letter to the committee. “Permitting a 140-unit RV campground right here, the equal of making a small city of 280-560 folks or extra on the sting of this nationwide park, doesn’t make sense for therefore many causes.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The group says the RV park might contaminate water with extra paved surfaces inflicting further runoff, and septic methods that might be wanted to deal with human waste. Growing the positioning might improve the variety of casual trails that may most likely develop from the campground to the river, and noise and light-weight air pollution that may emanate from RVs, turbines, passenger automobiles, and ATVs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heartwood is situated subsequent to Howell Touchdown, a well-liked web site for starting and ending canoe journeys, in addition to providing tenting, bathrooms, and different infrastructure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”We’re deeply involved that the Touchdown itself will evolve from a public touchdown for all to make use of to at least one the resort visitors and proprietor contemplate their personal touchdown,” Ryun wrote.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Roadblocks</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image "id":58961,"sizeSlug":"full-post-width-news-pro","linkDestination":"none" --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full-post-width-news-pro"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/heartwood-map-simple-1000x750.png" alt="" class="wp-image-58961"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The proposal has already hit one roadblock. Wallskog tried to persuade the city of Chicog, the place Heartwood is situated, to revive a public street that seems crucial to offering entry to the positioning. The quick dead-end Yellow Financial institution Highway, which has not been maintained for not less than 20 years, would have value greater than $75,000 to revive, based on the city board.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In February, city supervisors voted to formally discontinue the street, leaving Heartwood’s hopes in jeopardy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then, earlier this month, the city board voted to disclaim a conditional use allow for the proposed RV park. In response to the minutes, native residents on the listening to raised considerations about elevated visitors on native roads and lakes, environmental impacts, improve of taxes to pay for street enhancements, and impacts from ATVs and noise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preliminary designs for the positioning embody roads or ATV trails extending south from the proposed campground areas towards the Namekagon River, the place satellite tv for pc imagery exhibits some routes exist already.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Nationwide Park Service promotes the stretch of the Namekagon on this space as prime for animals and solitude.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This stretch of the Namekagon River is much away from roads and highways, making it nice for wildlife viewing,” the Park Service says. “The river right here is generally flat water with a number of riffles and light-weight rapids. Quite a few islands and river bends cover different paddlers so you are feeling secluded.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wild Rivers Conservancy is encouraging people to contact the Washburn County zoning committee members earlier than April 7, or attend the listening to. Extra info is accessible right here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->