GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Governor Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), announced that $320,600 in state funds is anticipated to support improving more than 930 miles of county forest roads in 24 counties across the state.
Supporting the safety, security, and reliability of Wisconsin’s county forest roads is vital, as, according [links-1.govdelivery.com] to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, each year, county forests generate approximately $40 to 50 million in timber revenues, resulting in approximately 16,000 jobs and $4.6 billion in forest products production.
According to the Governor's office, this announcement builds upon Gov. Evers’ efforts over the last six years to prioritize fixing Wisconsin’s local roads and infrastructure to ensure the state has the 21st-century infrastructure residents, businesses, and visitors depend on.
Since 2019, the Evers Administration has improved more than 8,600 miles of road and 2,000 bridges statewide.
“I’m proud we’re continuing our work to fix the darn roads across our state, including critical roads in our rural areas that help support our forestry and outdoor recreation industries, bolster our rural communities and economies, and help make sure folks can get from Point A to Point B safely,” said Gov. Evers. “These investments help make sure we can keep building upon this important work, ensuring our rural communities and the industries that support them have the safe, reliable 21st-century infrastructure they need to transport goods, welcome visitors, and be successful.”
Additionally, Wisconsin County forests also provide abundant recreational and tourism opportunities for residents and visitors to the state alike, including more than 9,100 miles of managed snowmobile trails, 1,700 miles of managed ATV trails, 460 miles of cross-country skiing trails, 400 miles of horse trails, 400 miles of bicycle trails, two National Scenic Trails, and thousands of miles of forest roads, along with a wealth of hunting and fishing opportunities.
Maintaining these roads ensures outdoor recreationists can safely and securely access these resources, ultimately bolstering the state’s more than $11.2 billion [links-1.govdelivery.com] outdoor economy.
WisDOT administers the state’s County Forest Road Aids program, which was established to help Wisconsin’s counties pay for the improvement and maintenance of public roads within county forests.
To qualify for state funding under the County Forest Road Aids program, roads must have at least a 16-foot surface width and a 20-foot roadway width, be located within county forests, be part of a comprehensive county forest land-use plan, and be open and used for travel.
The road cannot be a state highway, county trunk highway, or town road and cannot be part of the larger General Transportation Aids program.
A complete list of the funding by county can be found in the table below and on WisDOT’s website here [links-1.govdelivery.com].
