Prospects for funding from the state look better for the Blazing Star Trail now that House Republicans have joined the Senate in setting aside bonding money for the project.

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Prospects for funding from the state look better for the Blazing Star Trail now that House Republicans have joined the Senate in setting aside bonding money for the project.

Funding for the Blazing Star trail was included in the house Republicans’ bonding proposal, to the tune of $600,000. This is less than the $750,000 set aside for the project in the bonding bill passed by the Senate, but with money from both houses included, the chances of Blazing Star getting some level of bond funding have increased.

"Obviously we would have been happier with the $750,000 from the house, but we’ll manage with what we get. This will be a good start," said David McPherson, chairman of the Blazing Star Trail Joint Powers Board and an Albert Lea city council member.

Total costs for this stage of the project – land acquisition and planning – are estimated at $2.5 million. The exact route is still uncertain and will depend on where land is available, McPherson said.

The full house is scheduled to vote on the bonding package late on Wednesday. After passage, which is expected, the bill goes to conference committee with the state senate.

"Getting it to the conference committee will be important, but what happens to it in the conference committee will be crucial," said McPherson.

Plans call for a 10-foot-wide, 16-mile-long asphalt trail extension, which would swing northeast under Interstate 90, through a series of interesting features such as the stage coach trail and the Moscow Creamery, and then swing back southeast to Austin. The extension has been described by city officials in both Austin and Albert Lea as a recreational link between the two cities.

If the trail system is expanded further, which some supporters of the trail hope, people would eventually be able to travel a trail extending from the Mississippi River all the way to Albert Lea.

The trail already has funding from previous bonding bills for expansion from Albert Lea to Myre-Big Island State Park and, depending on how the funding holds out, to the outskirts of Hayward. Work on that segment of the trail can begin now that I&M Railroad has granted an easement along its tracks so the route can make it into the park. Albert Lea, Austin and Hayward have all signed a joint powers agreement and have formed a joint powers board to coordinate planning for the trail.

Freeborn County and Mower County so far have opted out of the joint powers agreement, but they have also expressed their support for the trail

extension. Sue Miller, Freeborn County engineer, is an ex-officio member of

the Joint Powers Board.