New Ice Age Trail license plate features bold colors, woolly mammoth
The Ice Age Trail Alliance has released the design for a new specialty Wisconsin license plate that trail lovers can begin ordering later this year.
The plate is a full sheeting design, with a light blue background, a strip of yellow and the IATA’s website at the bottom (iceagetrail.org), and a woolly mammoth along the left side. The design, inspired by the nonprofit’s logo, was created by Celtic Inc., a Milwaukee marketing agency.
“It is very bright and will definitely pop on cars. You don’t see too many full-sheet license plates around, definitely not one as colorful as this,” Melissa Pierick, director of marketing and community relations for the IATA, said via email.
The plates could be available to order as early as March. In addition to regular registration fees, the plate will cost $40, which includes a one-time fee of $15 for the issuance of the specialty plate and an annual required donation of $25 that goes to the IATA. That fee is tax-deductible.
“We’re excited for people to be able to order them,” Pierick said. “The plates are not only a fundraiser for the Alliance ... but will also help spread awareness of the trail throughout the state and beyond.”
The 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail is one of two national scenic trails in Wisconsin, but the only one completely within the state. Only 682 miles of the trail are blazed, official routes — the rest of the trail is made up of connecting routes, typically low-traffic roads. Money from the plates will help the IATA work with the National Park Service and Wisconsin Department of National Resources to purchase land and develop trail segments along those connecting routes.
The IATA considered developing a specialty license plate as early as 2014, but the group didn’t seriously pursue it until a state law change a few years ago made it possible to get a plate without legislative approval. At their annual conference last April, the group asked their members to vote on potential designs. In August, they submitted an application for a specialty plate with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Division of Motor Vehicles. After a 30-day comment period, the plate went through the DOT’s development process.
Once the plate is available for the public, 500 people have to buy it within three years. If at any point after that the number of active registrations falls below 500, the IATA has 12 months to meet the threshold again. If they don’t, the plate will be discontinued.
Once the plates are available, those who don’t already have a title and/or Wisconsin license plate for their vehicle can apply for one online. Those who already have a Wisconsin license plate must mail an application for the specialty plate along with a check or money order to the DOT. Plates can be changed at any time, but the DMV recommends waiting to order the new specialty plates until you’re within three months of your current ones expiring in order to get the most for your money. Links to the online and paper applications are available at bit.ly/wi plates.