The city of Hugo is putting a 68-acre soccer area right next to the south end of Hugo Farms WMA. City paid over $26,000 to cut down all the trees in a beautiful wild area that was heavily used by wildlife. Last weekend they burned down two buildings creating a toxic waste area and now they are going to put in soccer fields for kid to play on.

The mayor and his neighbor plus 100 closest friends have a petition going around to stop all shooting in the Hugo WMA.

The only thing we (conservationist, hunters, fisherman, outdoor persons) have to do is do nothing and it will happen.

Tink

PS: I walked the whole area last week and seen where they even cut down trees into the edge of the WMA. Past the stakes stuck in the ground with “end of cut area” written on them, which were driven over by the large tree cutter machine as they went into the WMA and cut trees. Guess they won’t be happy until Hugo looks like the every other suburb and all the wild areas are gone.

That's just sad, way to go Hugo. We need less wild life land and more soccer fields, baseball diamonds and golf courses.

Who in their right mind would want to put a soccer field right next to a WMA? What if someone is hunting, forgets/doesn't know the soccer field is there and inadvertantly shoots in that direction and hits someone? Way to go City of Hugo!!!! Lets put our kids in danger.

The writting was on the wall when they accidently drained this WMA a few years ago.

It was also a woman who sabotaged a great intentioned bill in Chaudray's committee because of this same WMA. This is exactly why the bill was proposed in the first place.

If we don't cluster the people and preserve openland around every small town we will see urban sprawl from coast to coast.

Don't give up on this WMA.Lets try and keep the fight there in Hugo. We as hunters should stand our ground rather than cave to development. At the very least force the state to add an equal WMA in more suitable habitat(not by acreage, but by dollar value) It's a very slippery slope and the longer we can stave off the growth the longer our kids will be able to hunt. Hans

Say goodbye to the WMA, because I don't believe they would allow hunting next to the soccer field. I'm sure "THEY" led people to believe they could both exist when looking for public input. But "THEY' knew all along after they got the field the WMA would be done.

too much risk if you ask me. It's just an accident waiting to happen

I agree!! Its a shame the soccer field was approved to be put in. I thought the whole reason for WMAs was to set aside a place that was for hunting, that developers could not touch, and secure our hunting heritage.

Doesn't a % of the money from hunting and fishing licences pay for these WMAs?

And if so, why are they not being protected from encroachment?

These spots close to the city are priceless. With the price of gas, shortage of time with todays hectic life, and total lack of access to hunt -these things are to valuable to let go.

I also think these same people who insist on putting houses all the way around lakes are the ones who complain loadest about the Canada goose explosion. We need spots to hunt metro geese near water. Geese get educated quikly and fill these unhuntable ponds in the fall exasperating the problem.

Once again if it is sold it should be replaced not only with an equal dollar amount but that sale price plus a convienience price which is way higher than we care to admit. Hans

I want to know who it was that came up with the idea to have a soccer field back up to a WMA. not much fore though there. I think Homer Simpson could have made a better decision.

Hello.My nane is Jess, and I live in Hugo.You can blame all this on our mayor,and the two clones he has on the city council.Mayor Miron and council members Haas,and Puleo are large land owners.Guess who is behind all the mess here in swamp city.I am part of a group of citizens fighting this corruption, but can only do so much.

Hello Jess, thanks for keeping up the good fight!!! I moved away from Hugo only ten years ago when it looked like a small town in anywhere U.S.A, Now it looks like the middle of sub divide and concur U.S.A

have you tried a petition yet?

There is a partition being past around by Tom Drewry a contributing writer for the Hugo Citizen Community paper and I was the first Hugo residents to sign it. Partition is to keeping hunting and shooting in the Hugo WMA.

Come election time we Hugo sportsman need to remember the names of Miron, Hass, and Puleo and vote accordingly.

The only problem with letting democracy rule is that many things are better served by government intervention. Our forfathers built many safe guards into the rules to keep mob rule at bay.

I'm afraid in Hugo and many cities we are not part of the mob.
The state needs to step in because many WMA's are used by people outside the voting area?

By all means cast your vote and what ever you do make a huge stink and get them all riled up. Hans

Contact the DNR and make a complaint about the City cutting trees in the WMA. Tell the CO you would like to make a citizens arrest if he can find out who operated the machine.