Andy Ostmeyer: No downside in Missouri State Parks accepting Rock Island Trail corridor | joplinglobe.com

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Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and Ben Ellis could give Missourians one heck of a Christmas present by accepting the 144-mile Rock Island line for a future state park trail corridor.

By doing so, Greitens and Ellis, director of state parks, would be honoring the wishes of the state’s residents, who have made it clear that is what they want.

Earlier this year, the state opened a public hearing on the corridor, which would be a companion on the south side of the Missouri River to the popular Katy Trail State Park. The state already opened a 47.5-mile spur of the Rock Island, connecting to the 240-mile Katy at Windsor and running to the south side of Kansas City. Between the two, and with spurs and connectors, the state would have a 400- to 500-mile network of trails for cycling, running, hiking, walking and more connecting major cities and smaller towns.

It would make Missouri the envy of every other state.

This summer, during a public comment period, the Department of Natural Resources (which oversees state parks) received more than 8,600 comments and they were overwhelmingly in favor of accepting the corridor.

Link: 

Andy Ostmeyer: No downside in Missouri State Parks accepting Rock Island Trail corridor | joplinglobe.com

MoBikeFed comment: Much more about the Rock Island Trail, Missouri's new cross-state trail, at

http://MoBikeFed.org/RockIslandTrail