Supporters of the Blazing Star Trail will have another chance this week to make their case to extend the trail from Myre-Big Island State Park to Austin.

Monday, November 12, 2001

Supporters of the Blazing Star Trail will have another chance this week to make their case to extend the trail from Myre-Big Island State Park to Austin.

A joint-powers group from Albert Lea and Austin is requesting $2.5 million for the project.

Sen. Grace Schwab learned last week that the Senate Capital Investments Committee will be traveling to Austin Wednesday to discuss possible funding for the Blazing Star bike and pedestrian trail. The noon meeting will be held at the Austin city council chambers at city hall.

Schwab (R-Albert Lea), who plans to testify in support of the project, has been urging the senate committee to hold a local meeting on the project. Rep. Dan Dorman (R-Albert Lea) and Rep. Rob Leighton (DFL-Austin) will also attend the meeting, along with representatives from the cities of Albert Lea and Austin.

Schwab hopes this meeting is an indication that state lawmakers are viewing the project with real interest.

&uot;It’s definitely a vote of confidence that the Capital Investments Committee is willing to take the time to travel down and study our project,&uot; she said.

Schwab plans to sponsor Austin’s $2.5 million bonding request in the Senate this year. The money, which has already been matched by $60,000 in private funds to cover up-front costs, will build a 16-mile trail from Myre Big Island State Park to the western city limits of Austin.

The ten foot wide paved path will host foot traffic, bikers and rollerbladers in warmer months, and cross country skiers in the winter. Schwab and other supporters believe the trail will increase tourism and offer economic benefits to the cities of Albert Lea and Austin, and the Freeborn/Mower County region as a whole.

&uot;This trail will not be a course only for marathon runners or professional bikers,&uot; Schwab said. &uot;We’re working to provide Minnesota’s families – whether they’re just visiting or live in our communities – easy access to safe outdoor recreation and breathtaking views.&uot;

Advocates for the Blazing Trail point out that it offers an important and sensible connection between two regional centers and could increase usage of the Myre Big Island State Park. Drawing only modest visitors each year, the park boasts campsites, picnic areas and a cabin.

Schwab said the Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Freeborn and Mower Counties and the surrounding cities all support the Blazing Star Trail.

The Capital Investments meeting is merely a preliminary step, Schwab said. No final decisions on bonding projects will be made until next year’s legislative session. While the Blazing Star Trail is competing for bonding dollars with hundreds of other projects around the state, the senate committee has only chosen to visit a select number of sites.