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A Hancock resident is calling on the city council to take action to manage snowmobile traffic in the city before climate change leads to bigger problems.
John Budd, a local researcher and advocate of climate change awareness, shared his concerns about snowmobile traffic with the city council at their regular meeting Wednesday.
Budd spoke on the dangers of climate change and how he predicts it will affect the Copper Country.
One of the side effects, said Budd, will be that more and more snowmobilers will flock to the area as snow becomes scarce in other parts of the country.
“Climate change is going to bring us to the only place with snow and if we’re the only guys with snow, we’re going to have a bazillion snowmobiles,” said Budd.
Budd pointed out that the city’s maps detailing routes that snowmobilers are required to follow while in the city are decades old and do not provide adequate, safe pathways for them to get from the DNR trails to hotels and other venues.
He said it was critical that Hancock plans ahead before the city streets are overrun by snowmobiles. “Everybody hears them, everybody knows the smell down at the Portage. They’re here, they’re obnoxious and whatever else, but we need to get it under control before it goes out of control,” said Budd, who says the city must act now because changing the laws could take up to two years and then it may be too late.
The city is in the process of reviewing their ordinances and the city council agreed that this issue should be considered as part of that process.
In other business, the Hancock City Council recognized Phi Kappa Tau for once again winning the month-long snow statue contest in this year’s Winter Carnival, after coming in 2nd in 2018. The fraternity has claimed the title 10 out of the last 13 years.
