Victory for Stower Silent Sporters!

In his 268-page decision, Judge Vlack further concluded that the County’s actions conflicted with its mandate to “provide recreational opportunities that complement present trail opportunities and provide recreational opportunities that are underrepresented in the Polk County Trail system.” 

“This is a victory for everyone who uses trails and the communities who depend on them,” said a representative for Friends of Stower Seven Lakes State Trail. “Everyone deserves a safe place to connect with nature. The vast majority of people simply want to walk, bike, or ski someplace peaceful and safe.”

Friends of Stower Seven Lakes State Trail, a volunteer organization, along with individuals who live adjacent to the Stower filed suit against the County in January 2021. The Friends and landowners claim the County did not act in the public interest by adding snowmobiles and horses to this long-established nonmotorized trail in part because it made the trail less safe, displaced established uses like cross-country skiing, and created confusion on the trail. 

The court’s decision is also a relief to the communities who felt the County did not honor local investments in public trails and tourism. The City of Amery provides a trailhead and parking for the Stower and other public trails. The City is opposed to adding off-road vehicles or horses to the Stower because these uses are already allowed on the Cattail State Trail, which runs east through the City. The City and its Economic Development Council have consistently told the County that maintaining the Stower as a nonmotorized trail to the west would maximize tourism revenue and optimize user experience no matter how people choose to recreate.

Crowding incompatible trail uses on a narrow trail is universally understood as unsafe and undesirable. Hikers don’t want to breathe dust from off-road vehicles and ATVers generally don’t want to slow down to pass hikers. Skiers don’t want to be close to fast-moving snowmobilers who wear full-face helmets for their own safety. Even horseback riders avoid bicycle trails because bikes are prone to spooking horses.

Polk County boasts 400 miles of snowmobile trails; one runs parallel and within sight of the Stower. There are well over 1,000 miles of ATV/UTV routes and trails in the County. There are 40 miles of exceptional horse trails at Wisconsin’s premier equestrian park, Trade River Equestrian Campground.

All of these activities are allowed on the Cattail (18mi) which is simply an extension of the Stower (13mi). It’s hard to see any reason to add snowmobiles and horses to the Stower. The court seems to agree. 

In a statement, the Friends says that it “hopes the powers-that-be at Polk County will again work with us and others in the county to reestablish the Stower as the best-maintained State Trail in Wisconsin. For ten years, the Friends maintained the trail at no cost to taxpayers; in fact, the trail actually made money for the County. Win-win. Let’s do it again.”