FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UW–Madison Extension, Ashland County, and Bayfield County to Host Community Planning
Forum on Data Centers

WASHBURN, Wis. — Local government officials, community leaders, and residents are invited
to attend a Community Planning Forum: Understanding Data Centers and Rural Communities
on Tuesday, July 28, from 1:30–3:30 p.m. at the Great Lakes Visitor Center.
This free educational event is being organized through a partnership between UW–Madison
Extension in Ashland and Bayfield Counties. The forum will provide research-based information
about data centers and the opportunities, challenges, and planning considerations they may
present for rural communities. No registration is required.

As demand for digital infrastructure grows across the country, communities are increasingly
being asked to consider questions related to data center development, including infrastructure
needs, economic impacts, land use considerations, housing impacts, and local decision-making
authority. Recent discussions across Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region have highlighted
the importance of understanding the planning tools available to local communities as these
issues emerge.

The forum will be led by Karl Green, Community Planning Specialist with the University of
Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension. Green recently served as Director of Extension's
Local Government Education Program and now leads educational efforts related to emerging
community planning issues, including data centers.

Topics will include:
• What data centers are and why they are expanding
• Current trends in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest
• Infrastructure considerations, including energy, water, housing, and roads
• Potential opportunities and challenges for rural communities
• Planning and zoning tools available to local governments
• Lessons from communities that have considered or hosted data center development

The educational forum is designed for county and municipal officials, planning commissioners,
economic development professionals, local government staff, and interested community
members.

The event is intended to provide balanced, research-based information that can support
informed local conversations and decision-making. 

For media inquiries:

Dan Grady
County Administrator
Ashland County
715-682-7015
715-681-1716 (cell)
[email protected]

Mark Abeles-Allison
County Administrator
Bayfield County
715-373-6181 (office)
715-209-7949 (cell)
[email protected]

 

For event information or accommodation requests:

Kellie Pederson
Community Development Educator
UW–Madison Division of Extension / Bayfield County
715-292-5582
[email protected]

Lissa Radke
Community Development Educator
UW–Madison Division of Extension / Ashland County
715-682-7017
[email protected]