The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the citizen group Potawatomi Advocates for Trees, Conservation and Heritage will be back in court next month as the legal battle over a road construction project resumes.
Door County Circuit Judge Jennifer Moeller signed an order Tuesday temporarily blocking additional tree-cutting inside Potawatomi State Park after announcing the injunction during a June 19 hearing.
The lawsuit was filed about a week after PATCH announced it was suing the DNR and DNR Secretary Karen Hyun over a road construction project that resulted in hundreds of trees being cut down to widen Shoreline Road and South Norway Road by up to 10 feet for new bike lanes.
Speaking shortly after the lawsuit was filed, PATCH Executive Director Dave Allen argued the project violates the park's 2018 master plan, which states that road projects should maintain the park's current level of development. He said the work completed this spring exceeded those guidelines and expressed hope the lawsuit would protect other parts of the park from similar projects.
Attorney Gabe Johnson-Karp told the court paving work could continue because the trees within the affected area had already been removed.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 14 at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, PATCH plans to hold a public meeting July 2 at 4 p.m. at the Door County Granary to present its case. The group's attorney, Brian Potts, is expected to attend.
