Portage County Outdoor Recreation Plan 2025-2029

Portage County’s Parks Department updates its Outdoor Recreation Plan every 5 years to identify essential outdoor recreation needs that affect the future of outdoor recreation in the County.

This Outdoor Recreation Plan (ORP) focuses upon County managed outdoor recreation facilities, and also list projects within the towns and villages. The City of Stevens Point and Village of Plover both have ORPs which will both be referenced in this plan. All listed nature based and active recreation based projects become eligible for competitive federal and state outdoor recreation grant money when this plan is adopted by County or local municipality by resolution.

All communities that want to use this plan to apply for grants, must adopt it by resolution.

Non-profit groups, foundations, and the general public may also use this document to coordinate their own private efforts for developing outdoor recreation facilities.

2024 Planning Timeline

Winter/Spring 2024 – Staff park analysis, plans reviewed, & demographic data analysis.

Spring 2024 – Survey received 182 responses. See Summary Results HERE (21 pages).
See Detailed Results HERE (127 pages).

Summer 2024 – Goals & Objectives developed.

Summer/Fall 2024 – Draft Plan ready for review.

Fall/Winter 2024 – Plan ready for approval by Park Commission and adoption by County Board.

Plan Maps

Map 1 – Outdoor Recreation
Map 2 – County Administered Outdoor Recreation
Map 3 – Legacy Places and Potential Trails
Map 4 – Urban Area Outdoor Recreation
Map 5 – Town Parks and School Forests
Map 6 – Nelsonville, Amherst Junction, & Amherst Outdoor Recreation
Map 7 – Almond Outdoor Recreation
Map 8 – Junction City Outdoor Recreation
Map 9 – Rosholt Outdoor Recreation

Plan Attachments

Attachment A – Park Design and Location Criteria
Attachment B – Facility Development Standards
Attachment C – State & Federal Financial Assistance Programs
Attachment D – SCORP Western Sands Region Analysis
Attachment E – Green Circle State Trail Map
Attachment F – Tomorrow River State Trail Map (Portage County section)
Attachment G – County Bike Plan Maps
Attachment H – Bicycle Campground Guide
Attachment I – Bicycle Campground Signage
Attachment J – Forest Legacy Areas 2024 Portage County

Portage County Outdoor Recreation Plan
placeholder for: DRAFT 2025-2029 Plan (Not available yet.)

Portage County Broadband Plan

The broadband strategy presented at narrowing the digital divide in Portage County by enhancing broadband connectivity and accessibility. Additionally, this strategy will pinpoint obstacles and objectives related to expanding infrastructure and promoting broadband adoption. Consequently, Portage County will be in a stronger position to seek and, hopefully, secure BEAD funding for broadband deployment.

Portage County Economic Profile 2024

Every few years, NCWRPC updates basic demographic and economic development information in the form of County Profiles, which provide a snapshot of current economic trends and opportunities for economic growth. Included is a map of business park locations where acreage is available as well as contacts for various economic development agencies and programs.

EMSI Analyst

Timely, accurate, and effective reports

EMSI delivers economic reports to regional planners who want expert analysis and detailed, hard-to-find data. Our consultants combine EMSI’s comprehensive labor market data and seasoned economic analysis to produce reports that analyze a broad range of workforce, education, and economic development issues. Unlike other consulting groups, we mine our own data and tailor it to create effective reports that communicate to all audiences. EMSI’s custom economic analysis includes the following major types:

  • Impact studies (education, workforce, and industry)
  • Targeted industry/cluster analyses
  • Workforce/labor market analyses (including competency analyses)
  • Econmic Gap analyses
  • Asset mapping

Another way to think about the work EMSI does is in terms of the questions we frequently address:

  • What is the economic impact of a particular institution or event?
  • Which high-growth industries are most likely to promote a region’s economic development?
  • What comprises the regional workforce (in terms of the industry mix, number of jobs, etc.)?
  • What are the region’s major assets (e.g., population demographics, employment, etc.)?

REQUEST AN EMSI REPORT

REPORTS FROM AROUND THE REGION

North Central Wisconsin Regional Recovery Dashboard

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCWRPC was awarded a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to assist with the economic recovery of the Region. Part of the scope of work for the grant included the development of a Regional Recovery Plan. The Regional Recovery Plan includes both short-term and long-term strategies intended to guide the Region’s economic stabilization and recovery from current and future economic shocks and to help foster a resilient and sustainable North Central Wisconsin.

As the Region continues to recover from the pandemic and build towards a more prosperous future, local communities and organizations can use the North Central Wisconsin Regional Recovery Dashboard to help track the Region’s progress on issues that were identified in the Regional Recovery Plan as crucial to the prosperity of North Central Wisconsin.

Portage County Economic Profile 2022

Every few years, NCWRPC updates basic demographic and economic development information in the form of County Profiles, which provide a snapshot of current economic trends and opportunities for economic growth. Included is a map of business park locations where acreage is available as well as contacts for various economic development agencies and programs.

Portage County

Portage County is a county located in central Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,377. The county seat is Stevens Point. Portage County was created in 1839 and is named after the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, a historic portage route used by Native Americans and European settlers. The county is known for its many lakes, rivers, and outdoor recreational opportunities, including the Tomorrow River State Trail, the Wisconsin River and the Ice Age Trail. The county is home to the city of Stevens Point, which is the county’s largest city and the regional center for commerce, industry, healthcare, and education. The county also has several small towns and communities, including Plover, Rosholt, and Amherst. The county has a diverse economy, with healthcare, manufacturing, and service industries being the main drivers.

TitleDate
Portage County Outdoor Recreation Plan 2025-2029October 7, 2024
Portage County Comprehensive Plan 2024August 14, 2024
EMSI Reports – Economy OverviewJuly 17, 2024
Portage County Broadband PlanFebruary 27, 2024
Portage County Economic Profile 2024January 22, 2024
Stevens Point Urban Area Sewer Service Area Plan 2040 UpdateJuly 13, 2023
Portage County Economic Profile 2022January 1, 2022
Portage County Locally Developed, Coordinated Public Transit-Human Service Transportation Plan 2019-2023August 31, 2018
Portage County Locally Developed, Coordinated Public Transit-Human Service Transportation Plan 2014-2018July 11, 2013
Almond-Bancroft Safe Routes to School Plan 2012-2017April 1, 2012

NEWCOM

The counties of northeastern Wisconsin have a long history of working cooperatively to address the public safety needs of the area. This latest effort, called the North East Wisconsin Public Safety COMmunications or NEWCOM, will create a group that will identify the communication needs for the area, so the 500 plus law enforcement and public safety organizations can communicate effectively throughout the Region.

The group formed under Intergovernmental Agreement §66.0301, Wis. Stats in 2006

Meetings 2024
February 1st
May 23rd – Merrill – NEWCOM Mobile Communication Event
August 1st
November 7th

Sherri CongletonVilas CountyChair
Ryan BerdalMarathon CountyVice-Chair
Rozanne KahanPrice CountySecretary- Treasurer
Andy FaustNCWRPCNEWCOM Contact