In June, Dunn and Pepin Counties worked with Landmark Conservancy to secure a grant that would enable the purchase of the 6.5 miles of the Chippewa River State Trail, currently owned by Xcel Energy in both counties. The property has been under lease by Pepin County since 1999 for the recreational trail and the utility company has determined that these lands are not needed for their operations.
Rick Remington, Landmark Conservancy’s Executive Director, said it has submitted an application to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, administered by the state Department of Natural Resources, to assist in obtaining the property.
“Should we be successful in acquiring the bike trail from the seller,” Remington said, “we plan to convey each part of the trail corridor to Dunn and Pepin Counties respectively.”
According to the resolution the Dunn County Board of Supervisors approved, the Knowles-Nelson grant would pay for about 50 percent of the appraised value of the land, which is thought to be worth about $4,000 an acre. In addition, Xcel Energy would be willing to sell the property for half of the appraised value.
“The lower Chippewa River is one of the most amazing resources in Western Wisconsin, and possibly all of Wisconsin for that matter,” he said. “You’ve got people canoeing, hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, paddling, recreating along the river and it is one of the most biodiverse areas of the state… It is not a giant project in terms of its acreage, and it is probably not a giant project in terms of its price tag. But in terms of its recreational impact, guaranteeing the permanent opportunity to recreate on that segment is something that is going to give back for decades and decades to come.”
Read more in this Landmark Conservancy blog post and articles from WEAU 13 News, Leader-Telegram, and The 715 Newsroom.
Photo courtesy of Landmark Conservancy.
