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`re Qarks a~d~ <br />o ~• <br />H <br />N <br />Li <br />{a. <br />~ •.. <br />SQt~},I,Q~W rW~N' <br />•~•~'' A` <br />1621 Beechwood Ave. <br />St. Paul, MN SSll6 <br />698-4543 <br />President <br />Neil Franey <br />Vice Presidents <br />Mark M. Nolan <br />Marsha Soucheray <br />Treasurer <br />Jeanne Weigum <br />Directors <br />James R. Bricher <br />Perry R. Bolin <br />Thomas T. Dwight <br />Bernard Edmonds <br />William Frank <br />Otis H. Godfrey, Jr. <br />Milton Krona <br />David Lilly <br />Marilyn Lundberg <br />Paul Mandell <br />Robert Nethercut <br />Joan O'Brien <br />Marj Prokop <br />Vice President Emeritus <br />Samuel H. Morgan <br />Ez Officio <br />Dennis Asmussen <br />John Caroon <br />Greg Mack <br />Robert Piram <br />Executive Director <br />and Secretary <br />Peggy Lynch <br />Whereas, over 50% of Minnesota's railroad grades have been abandoned (over 5000 miles) in <br />the last sixty years and another 800 to 1000 miles of railroad grades are projected to be <br />abandoned in the next decade, and <br />Whereas, Minnesota's railroad grades have maximum value for transportation and recreation <br />purposes and the potential to host communication lines only so long as they are intact, <br />and <br />Whereas, the public cost of acquisition is increased once grades have been sold off in small <br />parcels, and <br />Whereas, abandoned railroad grades often provide the only feasible route for new trail <br />development particularly in highly urbanized areas, and <br />Whereas, these grades often contain remnant prairie species and provide significant wildlife <br />habitat, and <br />Whereas, abandonments are often unpredictable and time for public acquisition can be <br />relatively short, and <br />Whereas, engineering of railroad grades meets the needs of walkers, bicyclists and others with <br />their gentle grades and turns and separation from automobile traffic, and <br />Whereas, substantial public interest exists in preserving these grades for public use. <br />NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the _ <br />following recommendations to the State Legislative: <br />forward the <br />1. That all abandoned railroad grades be expediently preserved until such time that the <br />future public use can be detemuned. <br />2. That a fund be established for the preservation of abandoned rail corridors if public <br />use is deemed desirable. <br />3. An interagency panel of state agencies and local units of government be established <br />to decide interim and ultimate use of abandoned rail corridors and to assist with conflict <br />resolution if needed. <br />