The City of Merrill has applied for a 50 percent matching grant from the Acquisition and Development of Local Parks sub-program of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to assist with the purchase of 12.17 acres of land in the City of Merrill in Lincoln County. The City of Merrill will provide match to the grant award.
The property is being acquired to develop a river walk trail in downtown Merrill, known as the River Bend Trail and will include fishing, hiking, cross-county skiing, bicycling, snowshoeing, non-motorized boat access, swimming access, nature appreciation, bird watching, picnicking, etc. The property includes approximately 1,000 feet of frontage along the Wisconsin River.
The department is proposing to make the determination that the prohibition of hunting and trapping is necessary to protect public safety based on the parcel’s proximity to residential buildings, schools and roads, the size of the parcel, proximity to a public waterway, and a city ordinance prohibiting the discharge of weapons and trapping within the park.
The Department’s initial assessment of the allowed Nature Based Outdoor Activities (pdf) may be downloaded from the Stewardship Public Notice page of the DNR website or you may request a hard copy by contacting the project contact listed below. Public written comments on the proposed acquisition can be mailed to Kurt Thiede, Administrator, Division of Land, care of Jillian Steffes, DNR Grants Specialist, 107 Sutliff Ave, Rhinelander, WI 54501 or sent by email to [email protected].
If you have questions about this project, Jillian Steffes can be reached by phone at (715) 365-8928. Written comments will be accepted through Nov. 22, 2013. In accordance with s. NR 52.04 (2) (b), Wis. Adm. Code, objections about the prohibited activities on this property must show the proposed prohibition to be inconsistent with s. 23.0916 (2) (b), Stats., and s. NR 52.05, Wis. Adm. Code.
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