Chronicle Editorial

     Recent progress on the Rolling Prairie Trail has been a refreshing development that promises to pay dividends for Hampton and Franklin County in the years to come.

     A $151,997 grant was awarded to the county’s conservation department from the Transportation Alternatives Program funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Two bridges between Hampton and Hansell will be widened with the money, and 4.5 miles of new trail will be opened upon the project’s completion. The local conservation department is currently preparing the path to extend past Hansell to the Franklin/Butler County border, bringing the trail’s total length to over 20 miles.

     The project has been an extensive committment that wasn’t easy by any means. A bike trail like Rolling Prairie takes a cooperative community effort that often requires great time and negotiation. People must agree to sell small portions of their property to construct the paths, and it’s wonderful to see the fruits of the county’s labor start paying off. The conservation department’s hard work and dedication shouldn’t go unnoticed, either. There’s a lot of factors that go into trail creation and upkeep, and writing extensive grant applications or braving mosquito-infested weed thickets aren’t things most of us would enjoy.

     There’s numerous benefits in having a trail system like Rolling Prairie. The opportunity for improved community fitness and well-being is almost a no-brainer. By having a resource so close to home, it’s almost impossible not to utilize its proximity. The path literally runs through our backyards.

     Our recreational trail also influences people outside of Franklin County as well. Having a groomed path creates more opportunity to attract tourists from throughout the area. Cyclists and snowmobilers are well known to make trips to desirable locations to take a morning spin or go on an afternoon cruise. They come for a ride, visit downtown and add a few extra bucks to the local economy. Even though these visitors may only be here for a day, they’re still talking about Franklin County in a positive light, which is always good.

     Finally, the Rolling Prairie Trail is a fantastic way to utilize an otherwise useless resource. Abandoned railroads are prevalent throughout Iowa, and putting them to use in the name of recreation seems to be the only logical step once they get vacated. These relics of yesteryear often wind their way across beautiful segments of Iowa’s landscape that’s quite difficult to view by car or truck. These paths traverse through the middle of sections over old bridges, secluded streams and rolling hills. It provides us the opportunity to view a little nature and get away from it all, which can be quite difficult for some of us.

     The Rolling Prairie Trail’s continued progress is certainly exciting news for Franklin County and the surrounding area. It’s a point of pride for the community, and definitely seems worth the investment. Our area is fortunate to have such a resource available at our disposal, because such great recreational resources can be sparse in smaller counties like our own. As the project crawls towards the finish line, it will definitely be interesting to see whether or not neighboring counties will decide to link up with the trail upon it’s completion. If they do, our area will undoubtedly become a popular destination for cyclists and snowmobilers from the throughout the state and Midwest.