Map available of closed Managed Forest Law lands at proposed mine site
Gogebic Taconite, LLC, with the consent of landowner RGGS Land & Minerals, temporarily closed the Managed Forest Law (MFL) lands to public access at their site because the private roads on the MFL land are being used for mining-related activities. The land closure includes a 600-foot strip on each side of each private road as required by public access conditions detailed in the recently approved legislation -- Wisconsin Act 81.
The DNR has posted a map of the MFL lands now closed to the public within the Gogebic Taconite ferrous mining site. The map is available for viewing on DNR's web page about the project. You also can search for "Gogebic" on the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov. The agency has created a listserve for anyone interested in receiving updates about the project.
You also can get to the DNR's Gogebic mining site which contains the link to the map and sign up for email updates here:
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/mines/gogebic.html
Landowners with closed lands as a result of Act 81 are required to pay, in addition to their acreage share tax, an amount equal to 15% of the average statewide property tax per acre for lands that are not open to all of the outdoor recreational activities for any part of the previous calendar year.
DNR officials say the closure, however, still allows for public access to the closed lands by foot to fish and hunt under two specific conditions. The public may access the closed lands by foot within 50 feet of a Class 1 or Class 2 trout stream for the purposes of fishing. Also, the closed land will be open exclusively for deer hunting purposes during the 9-day gun-deer season. The 9-day gun-deer season begins on the Saturday immediately preceding the fourth Thursday in November.