The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society and the Potawatomi Park Alliance want your help to send a message to Madison about the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower. The two organizations expressed their frustrations shortly after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the architectural firm GRAEF presented their plans for the observation tower located at the state park outside of Sturgeon Bay. The plans both involved ADA-compliant ramps in reaching the top of the structure depending on whether the current tower is restored or if a new one is built. Depending on the option, it could cost up to $7.5 million, something Dave Allen from the Potawatomi Park Alliance says could be feasible, but the tower may not be able to be saved in time if they wait for the fundraising dollars to come in to support the project. He suggests the tower itself be restored for $500,000 so something is better than nothing.

Governor Tony Evers said he would include the most popular option from the DNR’s survey of tower options into the 2023-2025 budget. The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society and the Potawatomi Park Alliance are collecting their own information about the topic while presenting the restoration of the observation tower with no ramp as a fifth option. Allen hopes they can get an audience with the governor to see where he stands on the issue and to make an in-person appeal to save the tower.