Newsmakers, August 11, 2016

The Blufflands-

Members of a regional commission will be meeting with local governments in La Crosse County in the coming months to find a way to fund a plan for bluffland protection.

The regional group is hoping to tackle regional bluff preservation in La Crosse, Houston and Winona Counties, but will focus initially on a trail called the La Crosse Blufflands Trail that would eventually connect the south end of La Crosse with bluffs north of Holmen.

It could cost as much as $500,000 to make the initial trail a reality, and that could come from several sources including local property taxes, tourism dollars and the state of Wisconsin’s Stewardship fund. A proposal has been made to fund a half-time job in La Crosse County’s planning department to help run the regional program.

“We’ll build that public awareness of this and then at some point, the policymakers will decide if it’s worth giving that sustained long-term funding to,” said La Crosse County Planner Charlie Handy. “If they do then we’ll probably have to hire some staff and move forward with projects in the blufflands, which we hope to do next year.

While the initial trail project from La Crosse to Holmen is the main focus now, Houston and Winona Counties are part of the effort. In fact, residents in the city and town of La Crescent will be asked to make a financial commitment to bluffland preservation efforts.

Preserving bluffs in Winona County is also part of the plan, and the process for land conservation is different in Minnesota, but Winona County Zoning Administrator Eric Johnson said they hope to eventually take the plan to stakeholders.

“My goal as far as bluffland planning is to be in the position where you have willing, interested property owners that can really take advantage of a full array of options.” Johnson said.

Trail expansion in the bluffs is something 600 respondents of a recent survey showed people will support. Hiking, sightseeing and cross country skiing were the top three of many interests. While those choices may seem at odds with each other, Outdoor Recreation Alliance member Marvin Wanders said trails can easily be built with many purposes in mind.

“If they’re designed effectively and planned well, you can accommodate a lot of different users,” Wanders said. “Typically, when you have trail-related issues, it’s due to poor planning and poor design.”

Handy said local governments aren’t interested in owning blufflands, but rather acquiring easements to properties so the public has access to them. About 3,000 acres of bluffs are conserved now in La Crosse County, and the immediate goal is to double that.

– John Davis