Rusk County started the Comprehensive Planning Process mid 2008.  The County's Committee on Committees was designated as the committee charged with developing the Plan in accordance with Wisconsin's Comprehensive Planning Law (s. 66.1001). 

The Rusk County Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the County Board on December 15, 2010  Click on the nine elements to download a .pdf file of the Chapter.  Some Chapters have additional maps/information which are also available.

An information meeting/open house was held on November 18, and public hearings on December 8 and 15, with adoption of the plan at the County Board meeting on December 15.  A more complete notice of the open house and hearings is available here.

1.  Issues and Opportunities

Household Distribution

Population Distribution

Median Household Income

Per Capita Income

Rate of Change Population 1950-2000

Rate of Change Population 1990-2000

Rate of Change Households 1990-2000

Rate of Change Projected Population 2000-2025

2.  Housing

            Seasonal Housing Percentage

3.  Transportation

            Traffic Counts County

            Traffic Counts Villages

            Traffic Counts City

            State Projects

4.  Utilities & Community Facilities

5.  Agriculture, Natural & Cultural Resources

            Topography

            Land Cover

            Land Management

            Slope Patterns

            Farmland Potential

            Generalized Soil Map

            Hydrology

            Watersheds

6.  Economic Development

7.  Intergovernmental Cooperation

8.  Land Use

            Existing Land Use Map

            Future Land Use Map

9.  Implementation

One of the most critical components of the planning process is that of public input.  To that end a Public Participation plan was adopted.  This plan will include opportunities for the public to provide input through ways such as a survey or public meetings, and access to planning information.  Updates on the Comprehensive Plan will be posted on this site periodically.

As part of the planning process a survey was developed and distributed to Rusk County property owners (mid February 2009).  The Comprehensive Planning Committee developed the survey with assistance from the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NWRPC) in Spooner.  The NWRPC also assisted with the distribution and compiling of the survey.

Survey results were incorporated into the County Comprehensive Plan, survey results are also available to local municipalities to assist in compilation of their Comprehensive Plans.

Survey results are available below, along with a summary, and a copy of the original survey.

Rusk County Comprehensive Plan Survey Results (.pdf file)

Rusk County Comprehensive Plan Survey Highlights (.pdf file)

Rusk County Comprehensive Plan Survey (.pdf file)

Questions and comments regarding the Comprehensive Plan can be made to:                                                                                                   Rusk County

                                                                      Attn: Comp Plan

                                                                       311 Miner Ave., Suite L337

                                                                        Ladysmith, WI  54848

                        Faxed to: 715.532.2272 or   Email to: aalbarado@ruskcountywi.us