As your northern Milwaukee County reporter, I came to the Oak Leaf Trail after hearing from a concerned viewer, Jim Paetsch. Jim reached out to bring attention to an issue troubling trail users: political ads from last November’s election that were never properly removed from the trail.
These forgotten banners are more than just an eyesore — they are contributing to litter along the trail and raising environmental concerns.
“I’d like them to come and finish the cleanup, and I’d like them to do it in a professional way,” Paetsch said. “They should leave this space the way in which they found it.”
If you frequent the Oak Leaf Trail near Prospect Avenue in Milwaukee, you have probably noticed the scattered trash Jim is referring to.
“I’ve been jogging this trail, I don’t know, the last 30 to 35 years,” Paetsch shared.
Jim’s frustration stems from banners placed by Wisconsin Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group. These banners, intended to promote ecological awareness during the last presidential election, were left behind in an area not designated for advertisements.
Watch: Political ads left behind cause environmental concerns on Oak Leaf Trail:
“You look at their mission, it’s a worthy mission,” Paetsch acknowledged. “They are interested in mobilizing voters in Wisconsin for ecological causes. One would think a group like that, in particular, would be sensitive to something like this and want to make sure they are part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
Jim Paetsch reached out to Wisconsin Conservation Voters and was assured by the group’s executive director that the mess would be addressed. However, his next visit to the trail told a different story.
“Sure enough, when I came down here the next time to run, there had been changes,” Paetsch said. “But the work they did here clearly didn’t address what they left behind.”
The discarded materials now litter parts of the trail and lie close to sewer drains.
“Over time, you get precipitation and temperature changes. Those things start to break down and then make their way into the ground,” Paetsch explained.
This pollution could eventually seep into the Milwaukee River, flow into nearby lakes, and potentially contaminate drinking water sources. Concerned by this myself, I reached out to Wisconsin Conservation Voters for a response.
Ryan Billingham, a spokesperson for the group, reassured me that they are taking action.
“They are going to launch a second full cleanup operation, and we will be in constant communication with them until that area is cleaned up properly to our standards. We are taking the matter seriously and appreciate citizens for bringing it to our attention,” Billingham said.
Billingham says the posters were placed on the trail by a vendor who was hired to distribute the materials and were never intended to be put on the Oak Leaf Trail. Billingham attributed the mistake to poor communication and insists the Wisconsin Conservation Voters will fix the problem promptly in the weeks to come. He insists the organization is taking active steps to ensure it never happens again.
Meanwhile, other trail users share Jim’s concerns.
“Especially if it’s a conservation group that left this like that, you would hope they would hold themselves to a higher standard,” said Jim Forester, a frequent walker on the trail.
Both men hope that by speaking out, they can encourage swift action from the conservation group. For Jim Paetsch, the situation is clear.
“It’s just unacceptable,” he said.
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