DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — A conservation group has filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin DNR over a road resurfacing project at Potawatomi State Park that removed hundreds of trees and widened roadways, including the straightening of a winding corridor that had been in place for nearly a century.
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The group, Potawatomi Advocates for Trees, Conservation and Heritage (PATCH), claims the state violated the park's master plan by expanding roads and cutting trees without public input. The project also added designated bike lanes along the affected roadways.
"You simply can not violate the master plan, they broke the law," PATCH President David Allen said.
Allen says the master plan only allows existing roads to be maintained, not expanded. He also expressed concern that a second phase of the project could bring similar changes to the park's northern roadways.
"Oh my gosh... now I feel I just feel sad," Allen said. "I feel like crying, it's awful. It's destroying the spirit of this park."
NBC 26 reached out to the DNR for comment but had not heard back as of Monday night.
Not all park visitors share Allen's concerns. Jessica Mulvill, a visitor from Illinois, said she does not oppose the changes.
"I don't feel strongly one way or the other," Mulvill said. "They must have a reason. If it's going to serve the public better, it's a few trees. Trees will die, trees will grow."
Jim Konklin, a Texas visitor who spends his summers at the park and bikes through it regularly, said the project caught him off guard and raised safety concerns.
"When I got here it had already started and it was a complete shock," Konklin said.
"The wider roads could mean faster traffic and that's going to be dangerous," Konklin said.
Documents show an emergency motion asking the court to halt construction is expected to be filed later this week.
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