Fire at the Granite Peak Ski area on Rib Mountain. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
RIB MOUNTAIN, WI (WSAU-WAOW)– The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wants to hear from community members about proposed changes to Rib Mountain State Park.
After years of discussion with the DNR, a draft master plan for the state park has been created. Before making any changes to the park, the DNR is hosting an open house for community members to share their insights about the changes.
The open house took place last night at the North Central Technical College, Center of Health- Science Building.
A master plan is a blueprint of how state parks will operate and the amenities they offer. Updating a park’s master plan is a common process typically reviewed every 15 years, the last master plan was created in 2005.
Discussions to redesign began back in 2015, according to the lead planner for the Rib Mountain State Park draft master plan John Pohlman when Granite Peak Ski Area asked to expand their acreage. Now in 2022, expanding Granite Peak is on the list of proposed changes for Rib Mountain State Park.
The drafted master plan includes multiple proposed changes including expanding Granite Peak to approximately 100 acres, adding a multi-purpose rail trail, bringing back camping and more.
Pohlman said the goal of the master plan is to make the state park a community asset for everyone.
“We really want to have Rib Mountain State Park to be seen by the community members as a year-round asset to their community,” Pohlman said. “That helps improve their quality of life that people enjoy coming to and using the park.”
A copy of the master plan draft and recording of Thursday night’s meeting can be found on the Rib Mountain State Park Master Plan webpage.
Printed copies of the document are also available at the Rib Mountain State Park Office and the Wausau, Rothschild, and Marathon City public libraries.
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