What are your county taxes paying for?

Through a series of articles I plan to explore each of the departments within Sauk County government in order to help residents better understand the services offered in exchange for your tax dollars. For this installment I decided to take advantage of the summer season and focus on Parks and Recreation. I sat down with Steve Koenig, Sauk County Parks Director.

At 1,100 acres, White Mound Park located off Highway 123 between Reedsburg and Spring Green is a great treasure to the county. A quick search of the Sauk County Park and Recreation webpage revealed that White Mound Park gets it's name from a vanished village located just south of the park. The village was named for the white look of the mounds of limestone found in the area. At the center of the park lies 104-acre White Mound Lake, known for its bass and blue gills. White Mound also offers opportunities for snowmobiling, horseback riding, camping, hiking, and hunting. Koenig also highlighted the 11 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. "It is one of the resources that I wish more people utilized."

In addition to White Mound, the Sauk County Park and Recreation Department is charged with managing 8 other county parks including Redstone Beach, Yellow Thunder, Man Mound, and a number of boat launches, as well as a 663 acre county forest located near Spring Green. They also administer the grants associated with the 200 miles of snowmobile trails that run throughout the county. Koenig invites residents and visitors to get out and visit their county parks and forest this summer. Keep in mind there is a $15.00 (annual) or $3.00 (daily) fee to use White Mound Park and the boat landings.

When I asked if there were any new parks on the horizon, he replied that Sauk County has already met the required amount of park acreage for the current county population. At this time, Koenig says he has his hands full maintaining the current parks and forest.

To learn more about these programs contact the Sauk County Parks and Recreation Department at 608-546-5011.

By: Jenny Erickson, Sauk County UW-Extension Community Development Educator