RHINELANDER - Let's Go Fishing! --is something we say to each other all year round in the Northwoods. But it's not so easy for everyone.
"Let's Go Fishing" is also the name of a non-profit organization coming to Rhinelander. For eleven years, the group has helped Minnesota seniors get out on the water.
Rhinelander is the first city in Wisconsin to adopt the "Let's Go Fishing" program.Joe Holm is the organization's executive director. He said the city's active community makes it a perfect starting point for the state.
"Around Rhinelander, there are some quality people. Out here at the Holiday Acres, Kari and Kim had a real interest in Let's Go Fishing. And we thought this would be a super spot to start this organization here in Wisconsin."
Holiday Acres Owner Kim Zambon helped get the organization here. He knows it's something the Northwoods will embrace.
"It's not like there's an older population that says...oh you should try this. Everyone has been on the water. This is a big part of life up here. So it's something they really miss...so it's an opportunity to do it again."
Tommorow night, Holm will host a reception at Holiday Acres starting at 5 p.m.
TOWN OF PELICAN - Winter activities like ice drag racing can attract a lot of people to lakes.
Northwoods towns are now looking to protect their residents by regulating those events.
The town of Crescent in Oneida County just passed a rule that forces event planners to notify residents, restricts hours of events, and makes organizers clean up afterward.
Now, the Town of Pelican is joining in.
Pelican passed the same ordinance as Crescent.
The two towns worked together to get the ordinance passed.
They share a lake and wanted to make sure the laws were the same.
FOREST COUNTY - Forest Count and Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park Inc. (WORVPI) have found a 10,000 acre plot of land they would like to buy for an off-road park, according to WORVPI President John Schnorr.
Schnorr wouldn't discuss the exact location in Forest County, but said they would hope to buy the parcels by June 2014. Right now they’re contracting an engineering firm to evaluate the land.
"That's so environmental concerns can be met," Schnorr said. "We'll look at that as well as a pleasurable experience for an off-road visitor who is going to come up and spend hopefully a weeks vacation in Forest County."
Forest County leaders believe an off-road park could help bring more tourists to the area, and with that more money. The county has the fifth worst unemployment rate, 7.9 percent, in Wisconsin.
WORVPI used Ripon College to perform a feasibility study on the off-road park. It says the average off-roader will travel 300 miles to visit an off-road park. It also projected an off-road park could bring in nearly $28 million per year for Forest County businesses.
"It will take us some time to operate and open it up and develop the trails, the camp sites, the amenities inside," Schnorr said. "Realistically we could see an opening date of Memorial Day of 2015."
The park would host ATVs, motorcycles and other vehicles on off-road trails.
People can help fund the park by purchasing $150 charter membership passes. More than 30 have already been purchased. Schnorr says only 100 will be available.
"The pass will entitle the holder to a park pass, an annual park pass, for the first year when the park opens," Schnorr said. "It will give us some capital up front and afford them a discounted price down the road."
Even with the progress, Schnorr says the project is still in the early stages.
"If you are an optimist, you think a huge amount of progress has been made," Schnorr said. "But if you are a pessimist, not enough progress has been made."
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