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Baraga County has signed on to help complete the next phase of the non-motorized trail around the southern tip of Keweenaw Bay.
The trail from the Ojibwa Campground to the Baraga Marina was built a couple of years ago. The next segment will run from the Marina to the State Park, and is being constructed by the Village of Baraga.
Most of the money is being provided by grants, but $400,000 in local matching funding is required. At last night’s meeting, commissioners allocated up to $200,000 from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act money to complete the local match.
Baraga Village Manager LeAnn LeClaire said preliminary construction could begin this fall, with the bulk of the work done next summer.
Commissioners also supported a plan by the Baraga County Trails Authority to request that two sections of unused railroad line be abandoned, and converted to trails.
Harry Miron explained that the Authority is trying to streamline the trail system. The rail lines in question include the stretch between the L’Anse Industrial Park and the Village of Baraga.
Miron said the current trail route from L’Anse to Baraga isn’t optimal…
It’s a run of about 15 miles. The rail bed would be more direct, and move the trail off public roads.
The second stretch runs from Nestoria to Covington, and would allow a rebuild of the connecting route to Marquette.
The county will provide letters of support as the Trails Authority begins the process.
