We, the undersigned, demand the National Park Service fulfill their promise and replace the recently eliminated Lakeside Landing of the Namekagon River in conjunction with the 53/63 interchange project in Trego, Wisconsin with a viable, equally developed, alternative.

This landing an extremely in-demand area for relaxation and swimming, as well as a river landing/exit for tubes, canoes, and kayaks - a natural resource legacy enjoyed by thousands of residents and visitors annually for well over 75 years.  The landing is also a historical marker site and adjacently home to a NPS Namekagon River Visitor Center.  In previous public meetings with citizens and the Trego Town Board, NPS verbally assured those attending that they would make sure Trego had an equal landing replacement.  The existing Trego Park boat landing is NOT a viable alternative; it's located in a stagnant, reed, wild rice, and muck infested area of Trego Lake. 

The Earl Park NPS Landing to Trego section of the Namekagon River is arguably the most popular and publicly used section of the Namekagon River in NW Wisconsin, to both the general public and commercial recreation use.  Without a developed general public access site in Trego, the NPS is essentially limiting river access from Earl Park Landing to County Highway K Landing, about a 10-mile section of the Namekagon, 10% of the overall length of the river, to strictly commercial and Trego Lake landowner use.

Additionally, NPS previously assured concerned Trego citizens that the north side of the Lakeside Landing, referred to by locals as the Kaas Landing, would remain a public access picnic area and was shown in project documents as such; however, most recent revisions of the interchange project show the Kaas Landing has been quietly removed and permanently closed as well.  

Eliminating the Lakeside and Kaas landings and picnic areas without creating any replacement for general public access is not acceptable to the citizens and visitors to the Trego area that love to spend time in the beautiful Namekagon River - it is one of the greatest natural scenic experiences in the area and access is a public right.

We call on the National Park Service to right this wrong and give us back a developed public access to the Namekagon River in Trego, Wisconsin suitable for use by the general public of all ages and recreational needs.