MADISON – Governor Scott Walker announced this week that $284,700 in state funds will help 24 Wisconsin counties maintain and improve public roads in county forests.
But Marathon County will only receive $2,039.98 of those funds to cover just over six miles of roadway.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) administers the state’s County Forest Road Aids program. The 2017 fiscal year funding will help improve more than 900 miles of public roads within county forests. Marinette County, with nearly 225 miles of eligible county forest roads, will receive the largest payment of more than $70,500.
To qualify for the state funding, roads must meet minimum design standards of a 16 foot surface width and a 20 foot roadway width; be located within county forests; be open and used for travel; and cannot be town roads, county or state highways.
County Forest Road Aids are separate from the larger General Transportation Aids (GTA) program. GTA distributes funding to local governments from state-collected transportation revenues (fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees), helping offset the cost of county and municipal road construction, maintenance, traffic and other transportation-related costs.
Counties and the amount of County Forest Road Aids being distributed are listed below:COUNTY FOREST ROAD AIDS Prorated
County Forest
Road AidsEligible County Miles Ashland 4.45 $1,400.92 Bayfield 37.97 $11,953.40 Burnett 35.16 $11,068.78 Chippewa 18.12 $5,704.39 Clark 45.98 $14,475.04 Douglas 97.23 $30,609.15 Eau Claire 17.94 $5,647.72 Florence 32.97 $10,379.34 Iron 47.57 $14,975.59 Jackson 8.68 $2,732.57 Juneau 5.59 $1,759.80 Langlade 7.67 $2,414.61 Lincoln 27.25 $8,578.62 Marathon 6.48 $2,039.98 Marinette 224.16 $70,568.20 Oconto 37.32 $11,748.77 Oneida 37.46 $11,792.85 Polk 7.61 $2,395.72 Price 10.26 $3,229.97 Rusk 22.35 $7,036.04 Taylor 17.36 $5,465.13 Vilas 48.43 $15,246.33 Washburn 95.93 $30,199.89 Wood 10.41 $3,277.19 Totals 904.35 $284,700.00