Our Hiking Trails are About to Get Even Better

     We’re lucky to live in a place with so many great places to hike. With the help of a grant these places are going to get even better.  Thank you Boundary Waters Advisory Committee!

 

 
 

$23,000 Grant Secured for BWCAW Trails in Cook County

 

Credit: Friends of the BWCA Trails

February 18, 2013 Updated Feb 18, 2013 at 1:16 PM CST

Grand Marais, MN (NNCNOW.com) — The Federal Recreational Trail Program has awarded a $23,000 grant to clean up and maintain the BWCAW Trails in Cook County.

The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWA Committee) will match the grant with over 1,700 hours of volunteer service directed toward planning, leading, and completing trail maintenance.

Officials from the BWA Committee say that $10,000 of the grant will fund AmeriCorps/Minnesota Conservation Corps crews. The remaining $13,000 will be used for tools, maps, food and other expenses directly related to trail maintenance on the Kekekabic, Eagle Mountain and Brule Lake Trails.

"Through our partnerships with US Forest Service, AmeriCorps and MCC, and business sponsors, we are committed to restoring our trails in the Boundary Waters and bringing jobs to northeastern Minnesota," says President of the BWA Committee Martin Kubik . "Whether the threat comes from the 1999 Storm of the Century, the past three catastrophic wildfires, or a lack of funding, it is vital that we step up our efforts to safeguard our country’s irreplaceable natural and recreational resources."

Officials from the BWA Committee are hopeful that this grant will help to stimulate the economy of the Arrowhead Region by enticing more Minnesotans to explore the BWCAW trails.

Work is expected to begin this spring on the trails and will be completed by June of 2014.

Posted to the web by Krista Burns