Friends of the Apostle Islands Legal Offense Fund

We are the Friends of the Apostle Islands, and we are raising funds to directly sue Chris Bretting and the Town of Barksdale, Wisconsin, for their unlawful actions at Bono Creek.

This is not just about one person. Local outfitters including Chris Prysok, Lena Stecker, and Stevie Waters have all had their lawful access to Bono Creek restricted. These restrictions were not about safety or law, they were about power, corruption, and intimidation.

Why We Are Suing

Abuse of authority, Bretting, as Town Supervisor, has used his position to block public access to Lake Superior, weaponizing land the town does not even own.

Civil rights violations, permits denied without notice, false claims about insurance, and blatant violations of due process.

Targeting small businesses, officials picked through applications to find excuses to issue citations, while ignoring valid documentation when it did not fit their narrative.

Community harm, the Bretting family has extracted resources for generations while surrounding residents have had to rely on trucked in water due to pollution near Bono Creek.

What This Fund Supports

This is not a legal defense fund, this is a legal offense fund. Every dollar raised will go directly toward:

Filing and sustaining lawsuits against the Town of Barksdale and Supervisor Chris Bretting

Protecting access to Bono Creek and Lake Superior for outfitters, tribal members, and the public

Setting a precedent that corrupt towns cannot invent rules to crush competition and monopolize public waters

Why It Matters

If Bretting and the Town of Barksdale succeed, small businesses, tribal treaty rights holders, and the public will lose their access to Lake Superior. If we succeed, we will prove that corrupt officials cannot lie, cheat, and manipulate the system to exclude others.

This is not just about one outfitter, it is about fairness, justice, and the right of every resident and visitor to access Lake Superior without being bullied by those in power.

Please donate and share this campaign widely. Together, we can take the fight directly to the source of corruption, and we will not back down.

Disclaimer:

This fundraiser is organized by Friends of the Apostle Islands. All funds raised will be used to sue Chris Bretting in his role as Supervisor of the Town of Barksdale, Wisconsin, and to hold the town accountable for unlawfully restricting access to Bono Creek. If funds remain after these legal costs are covered, they will be directed toward broader legal actions on behalf of Wisconsin residents and tribal treaty rights holders against the same officials. Every dollar will be used to go on the offensive and hold corrupt local governments accountable.