ROCK ISLAND TRAIL CLOSER TO REALITY
T
he creation of a second cross-state biking and hiking trail took a major step forward last December when the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officially accepted ownership of the Rock Island Corridor. The department plans to develop the 144 miles of the former Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad corridor, which stretches from Windsor to Beaufort, Missouri, into a public recreational trail. Missouri Central Railroad Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameren Missouri, donated the property at no cost to the state. "The Rock Island Trail will be the second rail-to-trail state park system in our state and will complement our existing Katy Trail," Governor Mike Parson said. "Much like the Katy Trail, we expect the Rock Island Trail to help grow local economies and small businesses, create jobs, and provide Missouri with another great outdoor recreational resource." The DNR already owns and operates the Rock Island Spur of the Katy Trail, a 47-mile multi-use trail located on the Rock Island Corridor from Windsor to Pleasant Hill. The development of the additional 144-mile section of the Rock Island Corridor will expand the opportunity for visitors to participate in outdoor recreation and benefit many rural communities, including Versailles, Eldon, Eugene, Meta, Argyle, Freeburg, Belle, Bland, Owensville, Rosebud, Gerald, Leslie, and Beaufort. "For years, many partners, including the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Missouri State Parks Foundation, the Missouri Parks Association, Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc., Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, Missourians for Responsible Transportation, and all the supportive communities along the corridor have advocated for this visionary project," said Mark Birk, senior vice president for customer and power operations at Ameren Missouri. "We are inspired by the trail's potential to provide Missourians and visitors with a new way to enjoy our beautiful state, bringing tourism dollars and economic development to communities along the corridor." The DNR entered into an Interim Trail Use Agreement with Missouri Central Railroad Company in 2019 to railbank this section of the Rock Island Corridor. Railbanking, established in 1983 as an amendment to the National Trails System Act, is a voluntary agreement between a railroad company and a trail agency to use an out-of-service rail corridor as a trail until a railroad might need the corridor again for rail service. This interim trail use of railbanked corridors has preserved thousands of miles of rail corridors that would otherwise have been abandoned. Development of the Rock Island Trail will occur in sections over several years, as each segment of the corridor has different features and challenges. Missouri State Parks began hosting public meetings in communities along the trail in January to gather input and understand the needs and goals of each community and landowners along the corridor. "With more than 30 years of experience with the Katy Trail, we want the Rock Island Trail to be a good neighbor, and we envision the Rock Island complementing the Katy," said David Kelly, director of Missouri State Parks. "I'm looking forward to working with landowners and communities along the trail as the development progresses."
4
terrain March/April 2022
field notes
ABOVE AND LEFT
: The Rock Island Corridor could become a second Katy Trail. (RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY)
Previous Page