In 2002, the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC) developed a Trail Planning Guide for the region to help guide local units of government and trail groups with trail planning and development. The Trail Planning Guide
- provided a history of trails in the Upper Minnesota Valley,
- a complete inventory of trails of all types and service industries,
- defined regional trail priorities,
- described how to go about planning your trail, and
- provided resources and information for technical assistance and trail funding.
Now it’s time to update the 2002 Trail Planning Guide. The UMVRDC has convened a Steering Committee to guide the updating process of the Regional Trails Plan. The Steering Committee met on May 30th and will meet one more time before the plan is complete in the summer of 2012. The purpose of the update is to update the inventory of trails in the region, but also to reevaluate the goals and priorities set in the original plan.
The updated 2012 Regional Trails Plan will still provide information on how local units of government and trail groups can begin the trail planning process, but the major focus of the plan will be to set regional trail priorities to develop a comprehensive and unified trail system in Region 6W. By providing regional trail priorities and including specific trail projects, the plan will be a support for local trail projects that are seeking funding. The plan will be completed this summer.
For more information on this plan or other trail planning questions, please visit this page on our website, or contact Lindsey Knutson, Transportation & Community Development Planner at lindsey.knutson@umvrdc.org or call 320-289-1981 ext. 7.
