County board moves forward with trail grant

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Hurley — The Iron County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Tuesday to allow the county to pursue a Coastal Management Grant to fund research into the current owners of the Soo Line rail grade that is intended as part of an expansion of the county’s trail system.

Both motorized and non-motorized trail proponents have been investigating purchasing the entirety of what was the former Soo Line rail grade through the county and into Ashland County.

“It’s a great partnership between the motorized and non-motorized groups,” said Will Andresen, with the University of Wisconsin Iron County Extension office, who has been working to establish non-motorized trails in the county.

The grade would then likely be divided between the motorized and non-motorized users, although the specific routes have yet to be determined.

The investigation into who owns the title for the land is a key first step in developing the non-motorized trail, which is planned to begin at the Montreal River in Hurley and run to Cary Park before continuing to Montreal, Wis.

“The ultimate goal being the non-motorized (trail) will go to Cary Park and then, from there to Gile and Montreal, but we have yet to figure out where to go from there,” Andresen told the board. “So it’s a process, but this is the first step — to figure out who owns what. Then the next step would be to acquire the property and then write a grant to actually build the (trail).”

Tentative plans would have the grade west of Cary Park be used as a motorized trail.

The Wisconsin portion of the regional non-motorized trail will connect to Michigan segment, meaning the regional trail is planned to run between the ski trails in Montreal and Sunday Lake in Wakefield. It is also planned to connect to other trails in both states, including the Iron Belle trail between Ironwood and Detroit.

According to Andresen, the county is seeking a $50,000 grant with $25,000 required in local matching funds, although he said some of the local match would be through “in-kind services.”

Some work on the design of the Hurley trailhead by the Montreal River will also be funded by the projects.