The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved the first of several permits that will be needed for the new course to be built by the creators of Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, even as an array of potential environmental impacts from the project were detailed. Kohler has agreed to create wetlands in other parts of the area and to contribute $200,000 towards restoration work.
Wisconsin regulators have approved the first of several permits for Kohler Co.’s controversial new golf course in Sheboygan County, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, even as they have detailed an array of potential impacts from the project on people and the environment along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Documents released Wednesday by the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) show that the course project would lead to wetland losses, expected surges in congestion for a nearby state park and potential harm to water resources, including Lake Michigan, the Journal Sentinel reported.
As detailed in several reports by C&RB since 2015 (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/page/1/?s=Kohler-Andrae+State+Park), plans for the new 18-hole course by Kohler, which also developed Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin, have faced opposition from a local group that opposes the project on several fronts, the Journal Sentinel reported.including the ecological impact on more than 200 acres of forest-turned-golf course and Kohler’s bid to use some land immediately south in Kohler-Andrae State Park.
The 247-acre project is also being closely watched in political circles for how the DNR handles its reviews, the Journal Sentinel reported. Kohler Chairman Herbert V. Kohler Jr. is one of Wisconsin’s wealthiest residents and a financial supporter of Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
On January 17, the DNR approved a permit to allow the company’s request to destroy 3.69 acres of wetlands, the Journal Sentinel reported. In exchange for the loss of the wetlands, Kohler has agreed to create a larger assemblage of wetlands elsewhere in the Sheboygan and Manitowoc watersheds. The company has also agreed to pay for $200,000 in state wetlands restoration work.
The payment reflects the cost of shoreline property where wetlands upgrades are expected to take place, according to the DNR.
In addition to the wetlands permit, Kohler will need other state approvals to manage storm water, the use of groundwater for irrigation and potential impacts on endangered and threatened species, the Journal Sentinel reported.
The DNR must also approve Kohler’s request for an easement of 5 acres from Kohler-Andrae for the golf course.
The U.S. Army Corps is also reviewing the project for wetlands impacts and the effect on historic artifacts, the Journal Sentinel reported.
Kohler has said it would use a minimalist design to lessen the impact on natural resources, and that it plans to use less water and nutrients than the typical course, the Journal Sentinel reported.
Potential impacts of the course that were highlighted by the DNR included:
- The course could harm state endangered or threatened species — 11 in all that inhabit the property or nearby.
- Users of Kohler-Andrae could experience noise and disruption during construction of the golf course. In addition, on weekends and during special events, more congestion for golfers and park users is likely.
- The effect on property values is unclear. But the DNR said studies have shown land values more than 1,500 feet from golf courses have experienced a drop in value.
- Groundwater levels could also drop near the course, depending on the amount of irrigation.
- The sandy soil of the region could mean pesticides and fertilizer could leach into the groundwater and wash into the Black River and Lake Michigan.
- The substantial loss of forests for fairways, greens and a clubhouse will mean the loss of habitat for birds, especially those that use shorelines as a migratory corridor.
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