A resort along the Namekagon River is proposing a major expansion to include campgrounds for recreational vehicles, raising concerns about impacts on the St. Croix’s largest tributary. The plan calls for Heartwood Resort to open up its 760 acres to RVs, seeking to become a destination for visitors who enjoy riding ATVs. River advocates are saying it would significantly affect people and wildlife along a beautiful stretch of river.
Heartwood Resort is located on the lower Namekagon adjacent to Howell Landing, near Trego, about 17 miles above the Namekagon’s confluence with the St. Croix. It was begun by Chicagoans in the 1920s, later operated as a Boy Scout camp, and has passed through numerous owners in the intervening decades.
In December 2019, a Prior Lake, Minn. man who already owns several other entertainment-related businesses in northern Wisconsin purchased Heartwood. Mark Wallskog now wants to add about 140 sites for recreational vehicles to the property. A second phase could double the campsites. The edge of the first proposed campground would be less than a tenth of a mile from the Namekagon River.
The request will be considered by the Washburn County zoning committee at a public hearing on April 11.
Cause for concerns
Wild Rivers Conservancy of the Namekagon and St. Croix is opposing the proposal, saying it represents numerous threats to a secluded section of the river.
”When you kayak or canoe this incredibly beautiful stretch of the river, it feels like you are in an undeveloped wilderness,” wrote executive director Deb Ryun in a letter to the committee. “Allowing a 140-unit RV campground here, the equivalent of creating a small town of 280-560 people or more on the edge of this national park, does not make sense for so many reasons.”
The group says the RV park could contaminate water with more paved surfaces causing additional runoff, and septic systems that would be needed to handle human waste. Developing the site could increase the number of informal trails that will probably develop from the campground to the river, and noise and light pollution that will emanate from RVs, generators, passenger vehicles, and ATVs.
Heartwood is located next to Howell Landing, a popular site for beginning and ending canoe trips, as well as offering camping, toilets, and other infrastructure.
”We are deeply concerned that the Landing itself will evolve from a public landing for all to use to one the resort guests and owner consider their private landing,” Ryun wrote.
Roadblocks
The proposal has already hit one roadblock. Wallskog attempted to convince the town of Chicog, where Heartwood is located, to restore a public road that appears critical to providing access to the site. The short dead-end Yellow Bank Road, which has not been maintained for at least 20 years, would have cost more than $75,000 to restore, according to the town board.
In February, town supervisors voted to officially discontinue the road, leaving Heartwood’s hopes in jeopardy.
Then, earlier this month, the town board voted to deny a conditional use permit for the proposed RV park. According to the minutes, local citizens at the hearing raised concerns about increased traffic on local roads and lakes, environmental impacts, increase of taxes to pay for road improvements, and impacts from ATVs and noise.
Preliminary designs for the site include roads or ATV trails extending south from the proposed campground areas toward the Namekagon River, where satellite imagery shows some routes already exist.
The National Park Service promotes the stretch of the Namekagon in this area as prime for animals and solitude.
“This stretch of the Namekagon River is far away from roads and highways, making it great for wildlife viewing,” the Park Service says. “The river here is mostly flat water with a few riffles and light rapids. Numerous islands and river bends hide other paddlers so you feel secluded.”
Wild Rivers Conservancy is encouraging interested individuals to contact the Washburn County zoning committee members before April 7, or attend the hearing. More information is available here.
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
Comments
5 responses to “RV park proposal on Namekagon raises risks of river impacts”
Boy did you open a can of worms by opening up the river system to the public. The river system/s are being loved to death. Look at some of the other systems and the big mistakes they made by inviting public to ruin your peace and quiet. Not to mention your environment. Money and people with money are going to be knocking on your door until they get what they want and that is to use up the beauty of the area. When it’s gone it’s gone. Please remember that when you are thinking of giving them what they want. Not always the best for the system!!!
Who is “you?” What are you trying to say? This incoherence is likely to cause more arguments than anything constructive or good for the river.
“Opening up the river system to the public”? For some silly reason I thought the river did belong to the public. Don’t misunderstand, at this point I am neither for or against Heartwood. I am against the elitist attitude often felt and shared about the natural beauty of our area.
I am so encouraged to hear the Chicog Town Supervisors voted to discontinue the road which has not been in service for 20 years and the town board denying a conditional use permit to a proposed motor-intensive RV park. Sounds like true wisdom. Protecting the regions’ people, land, wildlife and waterways are priceless. Development is exhausting and its costs are severe. Most often attempting to push local zoning laws beyond what is set, to “make it profitable”. I would suggest these folks are doing very well NOT to conform to requests that go against the desire for the area and townships have set for themselves. The ‘notion of progress’ is illusive and unsatisfying for those who seem caught by its draw. When is enough really enough? “a Prior Lake, Minn. man who already owns several other entertainment-related businesses in northern Wisconsin purchased Heartwood.” What is the motivation? Greed perhaps? Saying NO is a great idea to an individual or corporate with an endless desire to acquire more and more to develop, moving into and encroaching on regions without respect for the wildness of the area, its established non-motorized retreat and recreation activities and communities well served by natural, undeveloped space.
Protect and enhance the cycle of life goodness in this unique and beautiful region. Thank you for your wonderful, independent coverage of pressing topics in the communities of St. Croix 360.
I’m glad that the community adjacent will not reconstruct the road near the proposed expansion and denied the conditional use permit citing several environmental and quality of life issues for doing so.
I hope that the commissioners who will make the final decision on the request by the land owner will strongly consider the concerns of the citizens when evaluating the risk and reward equation as it relates to this proposed project.
It speaks volumes to me that those living closest to the area of the proposed development don’t see the benefit to the community or environment.