Public Trails vs. Housing for Tax Dollars, You Make the Call

by Ben Koelker on January 4, 2012 in Mountain Sports News, Politics

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(foreword)So before you read this article, this writer must admit: I don’t usually spend a lot of time taking on public issues. There, I said it. I do however live in an area of Colorado surrounded by millions of acres of public land, which I use in many different ways. Whether hiking, biking, skiing, hunting, camping, fishing, etc…, I love my public lands and try to do my part to keep them clean and enjoyable for everyone. I gained an appreciation for public lands while growing up in La Crosse, WI, long before I knew of the vast stretches of public forest spread across the mountain west of our great country. The area which this article is about (Upper Hixon Forest/ Human Powered Trails) is a place where I spent a great deal of time riding my bike, hiking and exploring the forest while growing up. There is currently a petition that this writer would appreciate you signing to support saving this public land from being turned into houses at this link.

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In a beautiful area situated high on the bluffs above the Mississippi River Valley, 160 acres of land are up for grabs. The Upper Hixon Forest/ Human Powered Trails, formerly the Experimental Farm, is a tract of land that was sold to the city of La Crosse, WI in 1963 by the University of Wisconsin System. It was sold with the understanding that it would be a park, according to La Crosse city parks and recreation director Steve Carlyon. The land however was never officially designated a park, and some members of the current city council are attempting to use the land to build a subdivision of houses.

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The Upper Hixon Forest/ Human Powered Trails area currently has a network of public trails running through it, allowing hiking, mountain biking and wildlife viewing. It’s a deep green hardwoods forest with stunning views of the city and Mississippi River in the valley far below. Marvin Wanders, owner of 360 Real Estate Solutions, says that, “losing the site would cut a substantial portion of the 12-mile trail system on the bluffs… I think you’re better off to continue this as a silent sports focus. You will get much more value… Better than you ever would by using this as home lots.” City council member Andrea Richmond disagrees, saying, “If there’s an opportunity to put some taxable property up there, we should really take a hard look at it… If we could use even half that land up there, we should be doing it.”

For more information, check out these links:
1) http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com

2) http://lacrossetribune.com

There are also several public meetings on the issue coming up in La Crosse:
Committee as a whole
Tue, Jan 10th at 7:30pm in Council Chambers 1st floor
Council Meeting
Thu, Jan 12th at 7:30pm in Council Chambers 1st Floor

The photos are all of Brett Werner and located in the Human Powered Trails area mentioned in the article. Photos taken by: Ben Koelker http://www.benkoelkerphoto.com

Tags: Housing, Public Trails, Tax Dollars Print article