Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MEMBERS OF the Iron County Regional Trail Committee look over maps and trailhead designs Thursday for a non-motorized trail being planned between Montreal, Wis., and Sunday Lake in Wakefield. Among those attending the meeting were, from left, Bret Deutscher, Kelly Klein, Lindsay Stafford, Neil Klemme, Amy Nosal and Bob Traczyk.
By RICHARD JENKINS
Hurley - After a well-attended public design discussion Tuesday, Iron County's regional trail committee looked to build off that enthusiasm during its bi-monthly meeting Thursday.
It narrowed down possible routes for Iron County's portion of a non-motorized trail planned between Sunday Lake in Wakefield and ski trails in Montreal, Wis.
"(Thursday) was a great regrouping after a shot in the arm," said Amy Nosal, with Iron County's University of Wisconsin Extension office, referring to building on the enthusiasm generated from the public session.
While Tuesday's public meeting primarily focused on designs of trailheads tentatively planned to be located at Montreal City Hall and the two blocks between the Montreal River and U.S. 51-Second Avenue in Hurley, Thursday's focus returned to the trail route.
While the exact routing of the trail still needs to be determined by county officials, as well as both motorized and non-motorized trail advocates, there was a general consensus among those attending Thursday's meeting that staying on the north side of Wisconsin 77 as much as possible was the best non-motorized route.
In addition to being simpler to design and safer, the plan also means there are fewer landowners that need to be contacted to allow trail easements through their properties.
According to initial research, there could be as few as five individual landowners and several large parcel owners between Cary Park and Montreal who would need to be contacted.
The group also agreed to contact county officials about beginning the process of preparing official bids for the title research services necessary to determine exact legal ownership of the property along the trail route.
The title research, along with the design work on the trailheads, is funded through a $25,000 Wisconsin Coastal Management Grant. The grant, along with $25,000 in local matching funds, provides the title work for the land between the two branches of the Montreal River.
