WISCONSIN     NAC ARCHIVE 2002    

     Nudity on public lands remains under attack in Wisconsin. The tradition of skinny-dipping and nude sunbathing at Mazo Beach has drawn fire from the state Department of Natural Resources, from some members of the legislature and from a pseudo-religious hatemonger.

     Locally, Ralph Ovadal, self-annointed pastor and leader of a group calling itself Wisconsin Christians United, has turned much of his vitriol toward nudity in general - and Mazo Beach in particular. Previous Ovadal targets have been homosexuality and abortion.

     Scofflaw Ovadal. Ralph Ovadal, who has been arrested, cited and fined for his various exploits, continues his pattern of denying responsibility for his actions. As the leader of a short-lived blockade of the road to Mazo Beach in 1999, he was assessed a civil forfeiture over his protest that he wasn't really the leader of the group that blocked the road. Ovadal claimed he would never pay the civil forfeiture, then quietly did so.

Ovadal's latest tactic at Mazo is harassment of those attempting to go to the clothing-optional beach. Using megaphones and in-your-face slurs and invectives, Ovadal and his sheep are attempting each Saturday to incite a retaliatory response from naturists. Failing that, those calling themselves Christians have tried to stage (and capture on video) fictitious assaults on members of their flock. They have also placed themselves in harm's way through such obvious ploys as intentionally riding bicycles in a slow and wobbly manner directly in front of vehicles driven by naturists on the way to the nude beach.

The Naturist Action Committee advises naturists visiting Mazo Beach to avoid the entrapment techniques of Ralph Ovadal and his devious and cowardly followers. Do not respond to the provocations.

     Mazo Beach remains open for nude use, but in mid April, 2000, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced that it would permanently close Conservation Drive, the access road to Mazo Beach. The 120 parking places now available to users falls far short of the 250 spaces called for in the Master Plan of DNR's Mazomanie Unit.

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The Wisconsin legislature met from January 22, 2002 through May 15, 2002. Bills from 2002 DO NOT CARRY OVER to the 2003 session.

The NAC board member responsible for Wisconsin during 2002 was Nicky Hoffman.

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