OCONTO (NBC 26) — Logging plans along Oconto County's Machickanee Trails are moving forward despite pushback from volunteers who maintain the site.
County leaders are set to approve a final map of proposed logging at an upcoming Land and Water Resources Committee meeting.
Volunteers with the Machickanee Ski Club attended an August meeting to recommend map modifications.
"We left disappointed," Josh Schmitt said.
Schmitt says he wants the conversation to continue.
"I know they have to cut, but Oconto County has 43,000 acres of forest. Why can't they just cut somewhere else?" he asked.
The county forester worked with the club to eliminate one 11-acre section of the original proposal, leaving 39 acres of woodland on the map.
"We're worried about loss of diversity here," Schmitt stated.
Club members had asked county leaders for a 200-foot no-cut buffer on each side of the ski trails. The current logging map includes a 75-foot buffer zone along the trails.
In a statement, forester Chris Firgens said in part:
"Since the announcement of the timber sale, we have been working on finding common ground to promote both the continuation of timber harvesting, expanding the aesthetic zones within the sale area and maintaining a positive visual appeal along this portion of the trail...We are optimistic that we have reached an agreement that addresses the community's concerns."
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the county's Land and Water Resources Committee is set for early September.
