Sauk Prairie Conservationists Now Go To Federal Court

Second Lawsuit Aimed At Stopping High-Impact Uses

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Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area
Bunny & Norm Lenburg (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

A conservation group has added a federal lawsuit to its efforts to block use of motorcycles and other activity at the Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area near Baraboo.

The Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance has already filed a state case in Sauk County Court objecting to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s recently approved master plan for the recreation area on the former site of the Badger Army Ammunition plant.

The conservation group is against allowing dual-sport motorcycles, dog training with guns and other so-called high-impact uses. Alliance attorney Brian Potts said the new complaint in federal court is against the General Services Administration, which evaluated the land 14 years ago, and the National Park Service, which has had authority over the property.

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“We think that now the DNR has gone forward with high impact uses — that’s unlawful,” Potts said, “And that the National Park Service and GSA have a legal duty under federal law to stop the DNR from doing that.”

DNR spokesman James Dick declined comment on the federal lawsuit. Motorcycle groups recently testified before the Natural Resources Board in favor of DNR plans allowing the dual-sport motorcycles at the Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area.