(Atlantic) The Cass County Board of Supervisors approved the adoption of the Cass County Trail plan on Tuesday morning. Danielle Briggs with the Southwest Iowa Planning Council says they started updating the outdated plan in 2020; however, the COVID outbreak delayed the project.
Briggs presented the supervisors with the proposed route and the options for the T-Bone Trail connection. Briggs says the main point of the plan is to use it as a tool to apply for grants.
Dave Chase, President of Nishna Valley Trails Association, appearing at the meeting, thanked Danielle Briggs, Brigham Hoegh, Lora Kanning, and Micah Lee for developing the plan. He says Briggs and Hoegh sent out an outdoor recreation survey, and trails topped the list of outdoor opportunities.
Chase says the trail abandonment process for the T-Bone Trail started in 1997, and this marks the 25th year the trail has been unconnected to Atlantic. Dave Chase says the plan is in place, and the next question is how to pay for it.
Dave Chase says the plan will not require a tax asking; they are just asking for the blessing of the County Board of Supervisors to allow the project to move forward. The routes are currently potential routes, and many of them will require the cooperation of private landowners.
The Cass County Board of Supervisors adopted the Cass County Trail Plan unanimously.
