Jody Kapp – The Wisconsin Southern Railroad funds many of their projects with 80% taxpayer funding. ** Your tax dollars are at work for this private railroad company…and they should equally be at work for a public banked rail trail that will make Sauk County the final connector in a world-class regional trail system that gives safe, direct access for bikers, hikers, snowmobilers and families to so much of what Sauk County has to offer.

Wednesday, the 25^th of August, at 6:30 p.m. is the second meeting of the Sauk County Rails to Trails stakeholder groups.  This is THE meeting where the issues will be discussed-for the first time laid out on the table-and the public will have two separate times to comment on what they know, what they want, and respond to any comment made by the stakeholder groups.

(Flyover of proposed Sauk county Rails to Trails section)

At the last meeting we packed the room and it made a HUGE impact on those who will be making the final decision on this issue.  We absolutely must do it again.  I recognize the last weeks of August are difficult in terms of scheduling but this is one meeting that will literally make us or break us as communities both in terms of health and wellness and revitalization.  Please Attend. Carpool…make a dinner date of it…whatever it takes to be there.  I firmly believe it is the public that holds the power at these meetings…and not those sitting around the stakeholder table.  Your comments…or  just your presence alone will make a powerful statement that we have had enough of waiting and stalling.  Its impossible to calculate how much revenue we have lost over the last 12 years by not taking action to create this banked rail trail system.  Just imagine if  what our local businesses could do with the new revenue provided by a completed Sauk County bike trail from new products and services to simply upgrading buildings. New tax revenue would also provide additional funding for community services such as our local schools.

Please Attend! If you have older children or grandchildren…bring them along.  Let them see how we, as a people, can make a difference.

The meeting will be held in rooms B24/B30 of  the Sauk County West Square building, 505 Broadway,  in downtown Baraboo promptly at 6:30 pm.

• Meeting Agenda
• Additional Sauk-Prairie Bridge Photos

For more information contact the Sauk Prairie Trails Action Group by phone at 608-370-2182.

Photo: Disused Railway Bridge over the Wisconsin River in Sauk Prairie.
*Written by Jody Kapp. Originally posted to the FLOW Newsletter. Edited for reprint by D. Mayoleth.
**WisDOT Freight Railroad Preservation Program (FRPP) grants have been the primary mechanism for funding rail corridor acquisitions in Wiscon­sin. The program pays for 100% of real estate acquisition costs. Eligible projects can also re­ceive grants to cover 80% of track improvement costs, with a 20% local share. Read More.

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