Support the True North Recreational Trail and Protect Trails on Bayfield Conservancy Land
The Issue
True North Sailing in Bayfield is working to create the True North Recreational Trail on our own conservancy land in Bayfield. This trail is designed to add to Bayfield’s recreational culture and opportunities, enriching the ways residents and visitors can experience the outdoors, consistent with the City’s own Comprehensive and Outdoor Recreation Plans.
On July 15, 2025, the Bayfield Planning Commission denied our project and voted to declare that recreational trails are no longer a compatible use of Conservancy (W-1) properties. This ruling not only blocks the True North Recreational Trail, it threatens to remove long-standing protections that have allowed responsible trail development on Conservancy land throughout Bayfield.
If upheld by the Bayfield Board of Appeals on September 11, 2025, this decision could jeopardize future trail projects, limit safe walking access, and prevent residents and visitors from enjoying Bayfield’s beaches, waterfalls, and natural areas. Trails are among the most sustainable and low impact ways for people to connect with nature, and they are vital to both environmental stewardship and community well-being.
Many of Bayfield’s most beloved trails, including the Brownstone Trail, the Big Ravine Trails, and the Gil Larsen Trail, were created on Conservancy land under this zoning allowance. With the Commission’s new interpretation, not only could new projects like ours blocked, but even the status of existing trails could be called into question.
The City’s Comprehensive and Outdoor Recreation Plans are clear in calling for expanding trails, improving connections, and creating new opportunities for access, including a planned waterfront trail and park. The Commission’s vote undermines those goals and threatens Bayfield’s trail future.
We are asking the Bayfield Board of Appeals to correct this decision, restore the zoning code as written, and allow the True North Recreational Trail and other responsible trail projects to move forward.
Public support is critical right now. Please add your name to this petition to show city leaders that you support the True North Recreational Trail and that trails remain an appropriate and compatible use of Conservancy land in Bayfield.
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The Issue
True North Sailing in Bayfield is working to create the True North Recreational Trail on our own conservancy land in Bayfield. This trail is designed to add to Bayfield’s recreational culture and opportunities, enriching the ways residents and visitors can experience the outdoors, consistent with the City’s own Comprehensive and Outdoor Recreation Plans.
On July 15, 2025, the Bayfield Planning Commission denied our project and voted to declare that recreational trails are no longer a compatible use of Conservancy (W-1) properties. This ruling not only blocks the True North Recreational Trail, it threatens to remove long-standing protections that have allowed responsible trail development on Conservancy land throughout Bayfield.
If upheld by the Bayfield Board of Appeals on September 11, 2025, this decision could jeopardize future trail projects, limit safe walking access, and prevent residents and visitors from enjoying Bayfield’s beaches, waterfalls, and natural areas. Trails are among the most sustainable and low impact ways for people to connect with nature, and they are vital to both environmental stewardship and community well-being.
Many of Bayfield’s most beloved trails, including the Brownstone Trail, the Big Ravine Trails, and the Gil Larsen Trail, were created on Conservancy land under this zoning allowance. With the Commission’s new interpretation, not only could new projects like ours blocked, but even the status of existing trails could be called into question.
The City’s Comprehensive and Outdoor Recreation Plans are clear in calling for expanding trails, improving connections, and creating new opportunities for access, including a planned waterfront trail and park. The Commission’s vote undermines those goals and threatens Bayfield’s trail future.
We are asking the Bayfield Board of Appeals to correct this decision, restore the zoning code as written, and allow the True North Recreational Trail and other responsible trail projects to move forward.
Public support is critical right now. Please add your name to this petition to show city leaders that you support the True North Recreational Trail and that trails remain an appropriate and compatible use of Conservancy land in Bayfield.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on September 2, 2025