Your comments to the DNR on amending the Kohler Andrae State Park Master Plan for the Kohler Company are due Friday, Sept 8, by 5 P.M. Email your comments to diane.brusoe@wisconsin.gov We all MUST participate to save our parks from being sold swapped in giveaways to companies for their private profit. The DNR with the National Park Service and the Natural Resources Board will determine if the Kohler Andrae Park Master Plan will be amended to allow the Kohler Company to use up to 20+ acres of our state park land for its private profit.  We cannot allow the Governor and the DNR to establish this precedent. Kohler Andrae Park is the second most visited in the state with over 400,000 visitors yearly. If you haven't taken action yet let this be your cause. On August 24, the DNR held an Open House and showed three diagrams to the public of the proposed road through park land to Kohler's property, the proposed rotary, and the 3 proposed maintenance buildings which the DNR and Kohler refer to as a facility. There are videos on the Facebook page of Friends of the Black River Forest   DNR DESCRIPTION OF THE KAP MASTER PLAN AMENDMENT  TO ALLOW UP TO 20 ACRES OF OUR STATE PARK LAND TO BE USED AND IMPACTED BY KOHLER:   DNR: "Construction of a new roadway with a roundabout to provide access to the park and golf course." Our response: **There is already access to the park. This land was purchased with federal funds for the good of the public. The total land to be impacted is much more than the 4 acres the DNR and Kohler both echo. Several acres will be damaged from collateral construction impacts.  This rotary will have ONE dedicated lane for park visitors and TWO for golf course users. DNR: "Construction of a new maintenance facility near the northern park boundary near an existing park maintenance building." Our Response: **No mention that there are 3 maintenance buildings totaling 22,000 sq. ft. and an asphalt parking lot planned in a duned area. Kohler says the maintenance facilities will be "co-located" with the existing park maintenance building. This is a specious implication that because there is a small park maintenance building there already, it is O.K. to add 3 buidings and a parking lot near it. In a recent conversation with Diane Brusoe, DNR, she stated that the northern area of the park was originally designated maintenance. FBRF pointed out that the last KAP Master Plan discussed opening the land for the public because of its scarce ecologic characteristics. DNR: "Obtaining access across the park for utilities, electricity, sewer and water." Our Response: **this is more state land to be damaged. The utilities will be bored under the park, wetlands and the Black River. This impact has not been calculated. DNR: "Kohler will use 4 acres." Our Response: **The DNR approach apparently is that the road, maintenance buildings and rotary will be laid down with no land disturbed around them during their construction. All the presenters at the DNR Open House kept to the finished footprint as the land the company will impact. DNR: "The rotary will relieve the traffic for park visitors. Kohler is helping by working on an electronic pass system to allow faster access for visitors to the park."   Our Response: We have pointed  out to Diane Brusoe that if the purpose of this rotary was for the benefit of park visitors it should have be entertained years ago with DNR funds. To justify the giving of our land to a private company with the argument that park visitors will get in faster is transparent in its defense of this project.    There are three main processes going on related to this giveaway of our land.  1. Amending the Kohler Andrae Park Master Plan so Kohler can use our park land. Comments on this process due by Sept. 8, 5 p.m. to diane.brusoe@wisconsin.gov "Sounds like this master plan amendment is to be pushed through and approved at light speed (for the DNR anyway). I’m sure orders are to get it done quickly before “statewide” public opposition can grow too large for them to ignore." (a former DNR employee) 2. DNR Applying on Kohler's behalf to the National Park Service to convert land purchased with federal funds for the public's use, to private land for Kohler's use and profit. The DNR has nearly completed the checklist for the National Park Service. The DNR is looking for an appraiser to value the State Park land so Kohler can find "similar land" elsewhere to give to the state. 3. Kohler's completion of the Wetland Permit Application. The Company received a letter from the DNR on April 7, 2017 asking it to review other options for its course other than the ones Kohler created.  Kohler created the options for gaining access into its land and concluded using our 20 acres, not his land, was the preferred option.    The land Kohler is requesting was purchased with Federal Land and Water Conservation Act funds (LAWCON) in 1965, for the use and enjoyment of the public. It was not donated by the Kohler family. In order to convert this land from public to private use the applicant may provide land of equal value for the public's recreation elsewhere. This land, its rare flora and rich wildlife, cannot be duplicated. The DNR will be helping Kohler with this conversion. FBRF will follow this process carefully and notify the public of hearings and opportunities to comment. Kohler's land and Kohler Andrae Park are part of the same ecosystem and rare coastal landscape listed as a Wisconsin Wetland Gem. The ridge and swale dune and wetland complexes have been created by the lake action in this area over a 5000 year period. They are the same dunal and wetland systems designated as globally significant by the Ramsar Convention at the Ridge Sanctuary in Door County. Kohler's proposed deforestation of 160 of 247 acres will seriously impact the migratory bird path in this important bird area. The deforestation opening the wetlands to the sun will indirectly affect many acres beyond the 30 acres of wetlands Kohler intends to fill directly. The deforestation, filling of wetlands, and reconstruction of the topography will remove all natural filters of run off into Lake Michigan and the Black River Watershed.  The deforestation will reduce the wildlife habitat to what Kohler's Wetland Permit application describes as that of a residential subdivision. The deforestation of this forest will destabilize the Kohler Andrae Park forest which is a part of this system. Kohler Andrae beaches and the shore will be  be affected by runoff and pesticide contaminants. Currently the shore of Lake Michigan has only 29 out of approximatley 285 miles which are NOT CONTAMINATED. Please submit your comments! Comments on this process due by Sept. 8, 5 p.m. to diane.brusoe@wisconsin.gov