By Kris Rued-Clark

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARPIN — On Friday, May 31, Wood County Parks and Forestry Department hosted a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly-expanded trail system at Powers Bluff County Park, 7073 Hwy. N, Arpin. The ribbon cutting highlighted the new entry road off County N, a new parking lot, and a clearing for the new shelter building, tucked below the original park and toward the back of the new addition.

Most importantly, the ceremony honored the addition of the new trail system and those who built it. Over the past three years, more than 5 miles of a dedicated single-track bike trail and 3 miles of a gravel multi-use trail have been constructed. Future plans include a trailhead shelter building to be used year-round by trail enthusiasts, with a portion of the shelter enclosed and reservable for community events. In addition, the road and parking lot will be paved, possibly yet this fall.

Weather cooperated, the sun shone, and a light wind kept the bugs at bay. About 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting, which began with State Representative Donna Rozar addressing the gathering. She noted that state money had helped fund the improvements. As a longtime member of the Wood County Board of Supervisors, Rozar stated, “This is a wonderful project, and best of all is the community support and the department heads’ vision for this place.”

Jake Hahn, a Wood County Supervisor on the Highway, Infrastructure, and Recreation Committee, spoke next. He said, “Outdoor recreation is huge in this part of Wood County. These improvements will bring visitors to the area, and will improve the quality of life for residents. These world class, beautiful trails in Powers Bluff will be around for generations.”

Detailing the history of the expansion of Powers Bluff was Chad Schooley, the director of the Wood County Parks and Forestry Department. He explained that in the early 2000s, Wood County was looking at a tree harvest on the hill, the original portion of Powers Bluff County Park. When several groups spoke out opposing the tree harvest, the various groups came together with the county to maintain and preserve the original portion of the park, with the goal of acquiring the land to the north for future expansion.

Speaking on behalf of the Friends of Powers Bluff, the vice president of that organization, Dr. Robert Freckmann, addressed the gathering next. “Really in a sense, this is two parks in one. The wild park on the top of the hill and to the south, and this portion to the north,” he explained.

An internationally-renowned botanist, Freckmann joined the faculty at UW-Stevens Point in 1968, and discovered Powers Bluff a year later when he was teaching a course in plant identification. He has been leading tours of the park ever since. “The more I came up here, the more I realized how unusual it was, and the need to preserve the area from the heavy hand of development.”

Although the original part of the park had been logged in the late 1800s, since then, the woods had regenerated. The density of the woods prevented invasive species from establishing. By preventing the tree harvest, the groups that came together were able to maintain the park as a relic of how woods were 200 to 300 years ago.

The northern section of the park had been farmed and has a different history. Therefore, Freckmann noted, “The two parts of the park were developed with two different purposes, preserving the high quality, pre-European part of the woods and able to concentrate on winter sports and biking in the northern segment of the park.”

Leading up to the ribbon cutting, Schooley thanked the Wood County staff members who completed the recent work. “Much of the excavation for the entrance road was done by the Wood County Highway Department. A lot of the gravel trails were done by our own staff.” He particularly thanked the maintenance crews from North Wood County Park and Powers Bluff.

Before concluding his remarks, Schooley emphasized the importance of volunteers and the Friends of Powers Bluff organization. “If we want a quality trail system, we have to put time into it. The more hands out on the trail the better. Mike Trulen, the owner of the Sports Den, is also part of the Friends organization. He volunteered over the last two winters, with his own time and his own equipment, to groom the fat tire bike trails. Mark Haferman and Erik Bennett have also put a lot of time into maintaining the trails. We have a lot of dedicated people, but we need more.”

A long-term project for the Friends of Powers Bluff is to plant prairie grasses and wildflowers along the edges of the gravel multi-use trails.The multi-use trails will also be open during the winter for cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and fat tire biking on the groomed trails.

Once the ribbon cutting was completed, attendees were invited to walk sections of the new trails, and several family groups meandered out into the wooded areas. Trulen also brought his fleet of rental bikes for anyone interested in taking a spin on the new trails.

Looking over the park addition with its miles of newly-opened trails, Schooley added, “This area is so nice, it’s really a blank canvas for what we can do in the future.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the project, or would like to join the Friends group, contact the Wood County Parks and Forestry Department.