News - pcgazette.com

News

Trap facility shot down

By GEORGE ROGERS
of The Gazette
Unlike the old Wild West movies, there were no bad guys. Proponents and opponents of a big trapshooting range in the town of Grant didn't see eye to eye, but there was no shootout at high noon. There had to be a loser in this melodrama, though, and it was the Wisconsin Trapshooters Association.

WTA wanted to put a world-class shooting range on the Buena Vista Marsh in the southwestern corner of Portage County but ran afoul of those who saw it as a threat to wildlife, especially the threatened prairie chicken, and a disruption of quiet country life.

So the Grant Town Board Wednesday morning rejected a conditional use permit allowing the facility. The vote was 3-0, and the board based it on objections by a majority of town residents. It was the second rebuff in Portage County for WTA, which earlier had met similar opposition in the town of Eau Pleine.

Town Chairman Tom Reitter presided Tuesday night at a three-hour public hearing on the issue at the Grant Elementary School, and it stayed under control despite some strong feelings. He had cautioned those testifying to keep it short and peaceful.

Some environmental heavy hitters testified against the range.

Milton Friend of Madison, former director of the National Wildlife Health Center, said approval of the trap range would be "a step backward in the long and difficult battle against lead poisoning." He was talking about the lead shot used by trapshooters. Thirty tons a year would have been deposited on the soil by trapshooters and he said the effects on wildlife would be detrimental.

Doug Hambach, a Grant resident and a foe of the range, read a letter from former U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson opposing it.

John Toepfer of Plover, a wildlife researcher, said increased human activity on the marsh would harm the birds. The Buena Vista Marsh is the biggest, and one of the last, strongholds of the threatened prairie chicken in Wisconsin, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages thousands of acres there for the species. People drive through the marsh and say they never see a prairie chicken, said Toepfer, but that's because the birds stay away from busy roads.

Kent Hall, retired biology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, represented the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and said the grasslands on the Buena Vista Marsh are important for the well-being of a mix of bird species. Grasslands, he said, are the most endangered ecosystem in North America.

Keith Warnke, a Wisconsin DNR wildlife ecologist, said intensive land use and noise associated with the range would be detrimental to prairie chickens. He called it 'an unacceptably high risk," and said the DNR opposes such a facility anywhere on prairie chicken land, though it encourages shooting sports.

Ron Windingstad of Madison, a retired wildlife disease biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said shot picked up by sandhill cranes could poison the birds.

Bob Juracka of Amherst, representing the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, said the range would impact the society's kestrel box nesting program and a proposed birding trail. The economic benefits of the trap range, he said, had been exaggerated.

"The more development you have in a township, the more costs you have," said Dave Schroeder, a Grant landowner.

There were others, concerned about the noise of trapshooting, the impact on the neighborhood and farming, lead contamination of the ground water, and harm to the trout in nearby Ten-Mile Creek.

And there were those who spoke in favor of the range.

Bruce Stiteley of Tomahawk, vice president of the WTA, said the organization had no intention of harming wildlife or human health. He and others representing the association said there are some 600 shooting ranges in the state, and they knew of none that had caused lead contamination problems.

And they said wildlife has not been frightened away at other shooting ranges.

The association has been using a trap range at Waukesha for its state shoots. It has become inadequate and can't be expanded, and the WTA is looking for a new home that's centrally located. Spokesmen said it's hard to find open land in a thinly populated area. They thought they'd found it in Grant, and professed surprise at the depth of the opposition. Kert Haremba of Muskego said he was "a little confused" by the position of the DNR, contending that the agency had first supported the range.

Speaking of the proposed trap range site, Glen Grabski of Plover, a WTA director, said, "This property is a soybean field. It is not prairie grassland."

Butch West, a Realtor involved in WTA's planned land acquisition, said he believed farm chemicals were more harmful to wildlife than lead.

WTA spokesmen said the range and an accompanying campground would occupy only 160 acres, as opposed to some 11,000 acres being managed for prairie chickens. They said lead shot would be cleaned up periodically, and spoke of the economic spinoffs from the range.

How detrimental is lead? One study was cited which said heavy metals don't move through the soil. But Ray Schmidt, Portage County water quality specialist, said once it's in the ground water it could travel to wherever it discharged, into a lake, a stream "or someone's well." And once it's in the water, it's costly to remove, said Bill Ebert of Golden Sands RC&D.

More than 100 people were at the hearing. Things got a little testy during a question period at the end, but for the most part the hearing was calm, and speakers for both sides were applauded.

And how did the people of Grant feel about this?

Grant is a double-sized town, and the range would have been in the south half. Opponents said a door-to-door survey in the southern part found 97 percent opposition. The WTA did a mail survey of the whole town and the outcome was closer, but still opposed. Preliminary results announced at Tuesday's hearing were, 40 against the range, 30 in favor and five undecided.

The hearing was attended by 171 people, residents and nonresidents of Grant, and they filled out registration forms. At Wednesday's board meeting, the forms were tallied and of those who indicated a preference, 83 were against the range and 32 in favor.



	Trap facility shot down By GEORGE ROGERS of The Gazette Unlike the old Wild West movies, there were no bad guys. Proponents and opponents of a big trapshooting range in the town of Grant didn't see eye to eye, but there was no shootout at high noon. There had to be a loser in this melodrama, though, and it was the Wisconsin Trapshooters Association. WTA wanted to put a world-class shooting range on the Buena Vista Marsh in the southwestern corner of Portage County but ran afoul of those who saw it as a threat to wildlife, especially the threatened prairie chicken, and a disruption of quiet country life. So the Grant Town Board Wednesday morning rejected a conditional use permit allowing the facility. The vote was 3-0, and the board based it on objections by a majority of town residents. It was the second rebuff in Portage County for WTA, which earlier had met similar opposition in the town of Eau Pleine. Town Chairman Tom Reitter presided Tuesday night at a three-hour public hearing on the issue at the Grant Elementary School, and it stayed under control despite some strong feelings. He had cautioned those testifying to keep it short and peaceful. Some environmental heavy hitters testified against the range. Milton Friend of Madison, former director of the National Wildlife Health Center, said approval of the trap range would be "a step backward in the long and difficult battle against lead poisoning." He was talking about the lead shot used by trapshooters. Thirty tons a year would have been deposited on the soil by trapshooters and he said the effects on wildlife would be detrimental. Doug Hambach, a Grant resident and a foe of the range, read a letter from former U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson opposing it. John Toepfer of Plover, a wildlife researcher, said increased human activity on the marsh would harm the birds. The Buena Vista Marsh is the biggest, and one of the last, strongholds of the threatened prairie chicken in Wisconsin, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages thousands of acres there for the species. People drive through the marsh and say they never see a prairie chicken, said Toepfer, but that's because the birds stay away from busy roads. Kent Hall, retired biology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, represented the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and said the grasslands on the Buena Vista Marsh are important for the well-being of a mix of bird species. Grasslands, he said, are the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Keith Warnke, a Wisconsin DNR wildlife ecologist, said intensive land use and noise associated with the range would be detrimental to prairie chickens. He called it 'an unacceptably high risk," and said the DNR opposes such a facility anywhere on prairie chicken land, though it encourages shooting sports. Ron Windingstad of Madison, a retired wildlife disease biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said shot picked up by sandhill cranes could poison the birds. Bob Juracka of Amherst, representing the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, said the range would impact the society's kestrel box nesting program and a proposed birding trail. The economic benefits of the trap range, he said, had been exaggerated. "The more development you have in a township, the more costs you have," said Dave Schroeder, a Grant landowner. There were others, concerned about the noise of trapshooting, the impact on the neighborhood and farming, lead contamination of the ground water, and harm to the trout in nearby Ten-Mile Creek. And there were those who spoke in favor of the range. Bruce Stiteley of Tomahawk, vice president of the WTA, said the organization had no intention of harming wildlife or human health. He and others representing the association said there are some 600 shooting ranges in the state, and they knew of none that had caused lead contamination problems. And they said wildlife has not been frightened away at other shooting ranges. The association has been using a trap range at Waukesha for its state shoots. It has become inadequate and can't be expanded, and the WTA is looking for a new home that's centrally located. Spokesmen said it's hard to find open land in a thinly populated area. They thought they'd found it in Grant, and professed surprise at the depth of the opposition. Kert Haremba of Muskego said he was "a little confused" by the position of the DNR, contending that the agency had first supported the range. Speaking of the proposed trap range site, Glen Grabski of Plover, a WTA director, said, "This property is a soybean field. It is not prairie grassland." Butch West, a Realtor involved in WTA's planned land acquisition, said he believed farm chemicals were more harmful to wildlife than lead. WTA spokesmen said the range and an accompanying campground would occupy only 160 acres, as opposed to some 11,000 acres being managed for prairie chickens. They said lead shot would be cleaned up periodically, and spoke of the economic spinoffs from the range. How detrimental is lead? One study was cited which said heavy metals don't move through the soil. But Ray Schmidt, Portage County water quality specialist, said once it's in the ground water it could travel to wherever it discharged, into a lake, a stream "or someone's well." And once it's in the water, it's costly to remove, said Bill Ebert of Golden Sands RC&D. More than 100 people were at the hearing. Things got a little testy during a question period at the end, but for the most part the hearing was calm, and speakers for both sides were applauded. And how did the people of Grant feel about this? Grant is a double-sized town, and the range would have been in the south half. Opponents said a door-to-door survey in the southern part found 97 percent opposition. The WTA did a mail survey of the whole town and the outcome was closer, but still opposed. Preliminary results announced at Tuesday's hearing were, 40 against the range, 30 in favor and five undecided. The hearing was attended by 171 people, residents and nonresidents of Grant, and they filled out registration forms. At Wednesday's board meeting, the forms were tallied and of those who indicated a preference, 83 were against the range and 32 in favor.