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Sawyer County committee pauses action on ATV/UTV route openings pending LCO decision
Summary
Public comment urged opening more snowmobile and UTV routes across Sawyer County; the Public Works Committee agreed to wait for an LCO meeting next Tuesday before advancing a county decision.
Members of the Sawyer County Public Works Committee heard a public plea to open more county roads to snowmobiles and UTVs and agreed to hold further action until a Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) decision scheduled next Tuesday.
Tim Davison, speaking on behalf of the Sawyer County Snowmobile Alliance, told the committee that trail and route openings have helped local commerce and said the Alliance’s remaining goal is to “get the entire county opened up.” Davison said closures leave some businesses effectively inaccessible and that, in his experience, increased night traffic on highways has not materialized.
Committee members said they want to continue working with LCO rather than force a unilateral county decision. One committee member proposed removing LCO’s approval requirement so the county could open its own roads; others urged patience to see whether LCO’s upcoming meeting produces an agreement. The committee agreed to revisit the item on the October agenda and discussed the option of placing the issue before the full county board if LCO does not act.
The committee and speakers also noted existing time limits for riding within reservation boundaries: speakers said the reservation resolution limits riding hours from midnight to 6 a.m. Committee members discussed potential consequences if LCO were to refuse or block routes, with some saying that blocking routes would be against LCO’s business interests.
No formal motion to change route rules was made at the meeting. Committee members asked county staff to check procedural requirements for placing the item on the full county board agenda if it had not been approved by committee first.
Ending: The committee took no binding action and set the item for further consideration in October after LCO meets. The public comment by the Sawyer County Snowmobile Alliance was entered into the record.
