MADISON, Wis. -- A local group called on state officials on Monday to build more bicycle trails throughout Wisconsin.

Officials of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin met on the unfinished Badger State Trail on Monday to launch a campaign for what they called transpiration enhancement.

The trail has sat incomplete for nearly 10 years, WISC-TV reported.

Federation officials said that they are asking for the maximum funding the federal government allows for bike paths.

Funding for extensive bicycle projects, including the Badger State Trail, was recently denied by the state when the money was redirected to highway construction projects, WISC-TV reported.

Dar Ward, executive director of the federation, said that many people are seeking bike trails for transportation.

"There really is a huge demand," she said. "We see that 100 projects were denied funding. That's a lot of communities all over the state that were looking for these kinds of facilities."

Ward said that people want the trails for a variety of reasons.

"What we find is as soon as a pedestrian trail is built, people really jump on it. It's something people want for health and fitness, as also for transportation use," Ward said.

Federation officials said that they believe about $1 billion is made from bicycle tourism every year in the state.

They said that they fear a negative economic impact if the state doesn't use the maximum funding that other states are.