Rock Island Trail supporters celebrate recent agreement, worried about contingency in the agreement, support fundraising effort to solve the problem | Marie's County Advocate

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While many Rock Island Trail supporters are rejoicing in the recent Interim Trail Use agreement between the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Ameren UE on the 144 miles of the former Rock Island line, they remain frustrated that the acceptance comes with a contingency.

“So, they have signed the Interim Trail Use Agreement, but it doesn’t fully transfer the property until the contingencies are filled, as far as Missouri State Parks is concerned,” said Greg Harris, executive director of Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc (MoRIT).

The acceptance of the trail is generally encouraging, but frustrating too.

“It looks like communities will not be able to proceed with any development until full contingencies are in place,” Harris explained.

The primary contingency being that the state of Missouri must receive $9.8 million in gift donations — the amount that State Parks says it will cost them to accept the trail over the next 10 years — by the end of 2021.

To achieve their goal, State Parks has hired Hartsook, an outside fundraising company that is confident they can achieve the goal.

Rails-To-Trails Conservancy has also hosted match fundraisers to help with trail projects in 2020, some of which are expected to benefit the Rock Island line.

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Rock Island Trail supporters celebrate recent agreement, worried about contingency in the agreement, support fundraising effort to solve the problem | Marie's County Advocate

MoBikeFed comment: The historic Rock Island corridor agreement, signed by Missouri State Parks and Ameren in December, is a big step.

But the agreement is contingent on raising $9.8 million in private funding to accept the corridor--and then more funding to build the trail.

The Missouri State Parks Foundation is leading the fundraising effort:

https://www.missouristateparksfoundation.org/

The Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc, is the primary grassroots advocacy/support group for the trail effort:

https://rockislandtrail.org/

Find out more about the historic agreement signed last month for the 144-mile stretch of the Rock Island Trail between Windsor and Washington, Missouri here:

https://mobikefed.org/2019/12/missouri-state-parks-and-ameren-sign-histo...