The Ice Age National Scenic Trail attracts an estimated 1.2 million visitors every year and trail users contribute approximately $113 million annually to Wisconsin's economy, according to surveys conducted last year of trail users and businesses along the trail.
The Ice Age Trail, one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, is a thousand-mile footpath highlighting Wisconsin's glacial geology and scenic beauty.
"This study highlights the importance of outdoor recreation to Wisconsin's economy and the value of protecting and managing our natural resources," said Brigit Brown, state trails coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources.
The Ice Age Trail is administered through a partnership involving the National Park Service, the DNR and the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a statewide nonprofit group that first advanced the concept of the Ice Age Trail in the 1950s.
According to Brown, the trail has been developed through a mosaic of partners, including private donors, landowners, businesses, nonprofit organizations and city, county, state and other municipal governments. The trail itself is built and maintained largely by volunteers coordinated by the alliance. Last year, more than 2,100 volunteers contributed nearly 70,000 hours of time to the trail.
In 2012, the Ice Age Trail Alliance and other partners undertook a survey of Ice Age Trail users. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater interviewed trail users and polled businesses near the trail.
Through the market research conducted in this study, annual usage of the Ice Age Trail was estimated at 1,252,685. This estimate of trail users was measured through field survey market research conducted using a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's Joint Effort Marketing program. Field market researchers were onsite to interview users at major trail destinations during peak and "shoulder" tourism times to record number of users, usage patterns and frequency.
To gauge the economic impact of the Ice Age Trail on Wisconsin, the UW-Whitewater Fiscal and Economic Research Center built and employed an economic modeling system that produced an economic multiplier, which is a quantitative measure of economic impact that recognizes that all levels of economies are interconnected networks of interdependent activity.
The model looked at the direct effect of the trail users, volunteers and family members on items and services such as lodging, food and beverages, gas for transportation, and related expenses.
Currently there are about 640 miles of the Ice Age Trail open to the public for activities such as hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing. Land acquisition and trail construction are ongoing to complete the entire 1,200 mile route. The trail highlights world-renowned landforms sculpted by the last wave of glaciers that left Wisconsin more than 10,000 years ago.
The complete report on the economic impact of the Ice Age Trail is available at www.iceagetrail.org.
Fishing: Dan Small will give a presentation titled "Fly Fishing for Musky, Salmon and Steelhead" at the Tuesday meeting of the Okauchee Fishing Club, Knights of Columbus Hall, 1800 S. 92nd Street, West Allis. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.; the cost is $5 for non- members.
Fishing: Bill Pepito will lead a seminar called "Fly Fishing for Beginners" on April 20 at Bong State Recreation Area, 26313 Burlington Road, Kansasville. The seminar will cover the basics of fly fishing including knots, equipment and casting. Participants will be provided with all necessary equipment. Pre-register by calling (262) 878-5600. The class runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Meet at the Visitor Center.
Fishing: Orvis, in partnership with Trout Unlimited, will present free Flyfishing 101 clinics at the Milwaukee Orvis store in Bayshore Mall. The classes are designed for beginning fly anglers; all equipment and instruction will be provided. The classes will run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on the following Saturdays and Sundays: April 20, 21 27 and 28; May 4, 5, 18, 19, 25 and 26; June 8 and 9. Call the Orvis store (414) 963-8709 to reserve a space or for more information.
Fishing: Matt Wagner of the Driftless Angler in Viroqua will give a presentation at the April 30 meeting of the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Charcoal Grill and Rotisserie, 15375 W. Greenfield Avenue , New Berlin. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The meeting will feature the drawing for the club's annual spring raffle. Visit www.sewtu.org for more information.
Fishing: Mike Koepp will give a presentation titled "Spring patterns on Pewaukee Lake" at the May 8 meeting of the Muskellunge Club of Wisconsin, Thunder Bay Grille, N14 W24130 Tower Place, Pewaukee. Meetings are open to the public; the fee is $5 for non-members. For more information, visit www.muskiewi.org or call Kurt Ketcham at (262) 490-2362.
Conservation banquet: The David Uilhlein Memorial Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society will hold its 32nd annual Conservation and Sportsmen's Banquet on April 22 at the Milwaukee Athletic Club, 758 Broadway, Milwaukee. The event raises funds for conservation projects that benefit ruffed grouse, woodcock, song birds and other forest wildlife. The evening will include raffles, auctions and dinner. Social hour and raffles begin at 5 p.m.; dinner is at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Colin Fouts at (715) 817-0117 or visit www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.
Conservation banquet: The South Suburban chapter of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association will hold its 8th annual banquet on April 22 at Salvatore's (Papa Luigi's II), 1919 12th Avenue, South Milwaukee. The event will include raffles, door prizes, auctions and dinner. Doors open at 5 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. For tickets or more information call Jim Olszewski at (414) 764-2441.
Paddling: Laacke & Joys will hold a workshop titled "Getting your kids started in paddling" on Tuesday at its Brookfield store, 19233 W. Bluemound Road, Brookfield. The event is intended for parents and their children age 7 and over and will include information on gear and safety. It will include fitting adults and children in boats. Call (262) 782-2960 for more information.
Knot tying: Laacke & Joys will hold a knot tying class on Thursday at its downtown store, 1433 N. Water Street, Milwaukee. The class will start at 6 p.m. and include instruction in all the important knots paddlers and other outdoors enthusiasts should know. Materials and instruction are included. Call (414) 271-7878 for more information.
Archery: Registration is open to the public for the summer archery industrial league at Racine Instinctive Bowmen. Each team will have five members. The schedule consists of 13 rounds of outdoor shooting, rotating on a different range each week. Shooting begins with qualifying on April 28, followed by one round each Wednesday through July 17, with a closing banquet, awards and novelty shoots on July 24. Mosquitoes are aggressively controlled on all ranges. All shooting styles are welcome but no crossbows. All forms and fees must be turned in by April 20. Registration forms and additional rules and information are available at www.ribarchery.com. The club is located at 11403 50th Road, Sturtevant. If you are interested but don't have a team or if your team needs more shooters, contact Dan Pirk at (262) 456-4604.