The Department of Natural Resources has yet to make a decision about what it will do a popular historic observation tower at Peninsula State Park that officials closed this spring due to structural problems.
The DNR’s northeastern Wisconsin parks superintendent, Jerry Leiterman, said an independent engineering firm found evidence of dry rot at Eagle Tower, and recommended that it be closed and demolished. However, Leiterman said no official decision has been made as to what the DNR will do with the structure that overlooks Lake Michigan.
Leiterman said park staff got a lot of questions about Eagle Tower this summer.
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“It’s a very important feature of the park, the local community, and of Door County and the state of Wisconsin,” he said. “It’s a big deal.”
He said the agency will take public input on the tower’s future when the park’s master plan is revisited beginning in December.
Notably, the state eliminated taxpayer support for parks in its most recent budget, while user fees were increased.
State Sen. Frank Lassee, R-De Pere, has called on the DNR to either fix or replace Eagle Tower.
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