OPINION: Keep PlyWood Trail discussion alive

Source: <a id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_hlSource" href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/opinion/editorial/our-opinion-keep-plywood-trail-discussion-alive/article_ee539d26-5c94-5b1f-adee-df32fa8167ac.html" target="_blank">Sioux City Journal
Author: Journal Editorial Board
Posted By: <a id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_hlPostedBy" href="/Profile/bikeiowajess">bikeiowajess
Modified: <span id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_lblModifiedBy" title="7/15/2018 6:27:04 AM by bikeiowa">Jul 15, 2018 by <a id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_hlModifiedBy" href="/Profile/bikeiowa">bikeiowa

Journal Editorial Board
Sun March 05 2017
Posted Mar 6, 2017
10,452

Even casual Our Opinion readers know how important we believe quality of life is to local economic growth and prosperity and how important we believe a connected system of trails for the enjoyment of walkers, runners and bikers is to local quality of life.

We have used this space on many occasions to advocate for trail construction and to applaud efforts, both public and private, taken in support of trail expansion within our metro region.

Today, we revisit this issue because of discussion about PlyWood Trail, a proposed $10 million, 16-mile trail link between Sioux City and Le Mars.

A volunteer committee of trail supporters is researching, planning and advocating for creation of the link. Its goal is to raise enough private money to build PlyWood and establish an endowment for its maintenance.

Because we share the PlyWood committee's passion for trails and its appreciation for the many benefits (economic, as well as health and safety, for examples) they produce, admire the committee's laudable commitment to construction and maintenance of this link without taxpayer money and share the dream of a tri-state, metro-area system of linked trails second to none, we support the PlyWood project

A key, if not the key unanswered question preventing the project from moving forward to the next stage relates to PlyWood ownership. Who, in fact, would own the inter-county trail?

Because 14 of the 16 miles of PlyWood would be located in Plymouth County, Plywood committee members have approached - properly, in our view - Plymouth County leaders about ownership. To this point, however, a majority of the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors appears opposed to county involvement in ownership (by, perhaps, the Plymouth County Conservation Board) of the trail.