The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society is hoping the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will clarify two issues facing the future of the Potawatomie State Park Tower soon.  President Christie Weber says one of the issues centers on the DNR accepting the findings of Dr. William Tingley who is from outside the state on the structural viability of the tower.  Tingley’s firm is called Wood Research and Development from Jefferson, Oregon, and has done state-approved work in Wisconsin in the past, according to Weber.

Another issue that the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society is trying to have the DNR clarify is that Tingley’s study took into account historical preservation.  The State Historic Preservation Office sent a letter stating that they determined the Potawatomi State Park Tower is eligible for historic status back in December of 2019.  The 88-year-old Potawatomi State Park Tower has been closed to the public since December of 2017.  The Wisconsin DNR had three studies that determined the tower had too much wood rot and decay to be saved.  Tingley's findings commissioned by the SBHS showed that the current tower could be restored for $250,000 beginning as early as this fall, according to Weber.   

Letter of Dr. Tingley's past approved work in the state of Wisconsin