Ice Age Trail Breaks Ground On New Headquarters
Foundation Hopes To Finish Remainder Of Trail
Updated: 4:04 pm CDT July 8,2008
CROSS PLAINS, Wis. -- More than half of Wisconsin residents live within 20 minutes of the Ice Age Trail, and many might not even know it.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportThe Ice Age Trail is 50 years old, but the land it covers has a history much older. The Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation is now putting that history under new roof and hoping to increase awareness about the trail.The trail traverses past rare, if not outright uncommon, geographical features throughout the state. Managed by the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation, the hiking path is one of only 25 trails in the National Trails System kept by the National Park Service.Wayne Prior was one of the people who brainstormed a foundation headquarters while he hiked the entire 1,000-mile trail. It took him four years to complete his journey, WISC-TV reported."We would leave on Sunday morning and we would hike a 10 mile section and then come back," said Prior."We just looked at it like we were doing a 10-mile hike and eventually, we had the whole thing done," said PriorJust like the glacier carved out the Wisconsin earth to make the trail, volunteers and members of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation broke ground on the organization's new headquarters in Cross Plains on Monday."I think we deserve and need a headquarters to observe and identify and increase that identity and marketing of the trail," said foundation executive director Mike Wollmer. "With these thousands of cars that go past the site each day, we're going to be telling an Ice Age Trail story."Wollmer said the story is still being written because the Ice Age Trail isn't complete. One thousand miles of the trail are marked on a map, but only 600 miles are really complete. Foundation members said the next job is to acquire the land."I'm confidant that will be done, certainly within long before the next 50 years is out," said Wollmer.Wollmer said the work will be better accomplished from the organization's new headquarters, when it's finished."Crossing the beaver dams and going through the marsh areas and through the woods and the roads in between -- it's really a beautiful state, and the Ice Age Trail is a great way to see it," said Wollmer.Foundation officials said that they hope the rest of the trail can be completed through conservation easements. This is when the foundation doesn't buy the land, but rather reaches an agreement with an individual landowner to allow the trail to go through their land while still preserving the rest of the property.The foundation plans to lease the headquarters space from a developer, who said he hopes the foundation will ultimately buy it.The building is being designed by Linville Architects in Madison, who were chosen because of their green building philosophy.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportThe Ice Age Trail is 50 years old, but the land it covers has a history much older. The Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation is now putting that history under new roof and hoping to increase awareness about the trail.The trail traverses past rare, if not outright uncommon, geographical features throughout the state. Managed by the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation, the hiking path is one of only 25 trails in the National Trails System kept by the National Park Service.Wayne Prior was one of the people who brainstormed a foundation headquarters while he hiked the entire 1,000-mile trail. It took him four years to complete his journey, WISC-TV reported."We would leave on Sunday morning and we would hike a 10 mile section and then come back," said Prior."We just looked at it like we were doing a 10-mile hike and eventually, we had the whole thing done," said PriorJust like the glacier carved out the Wisconsin earth to make the trail, volunteers and members of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation broke ground on the organization's new headquarters in Cross Plains on Monday."I think we deserve and need a headquarters to observe and identify and increase that identity and marketing of the trail," said foundation executive director Mike Wollmer. "With these thousands of cars that go past the site each day, we're going to be telling an Ice Age Trail story."Wollmer said the story is still being written because the Ice Age Trail isn't complete. One thousand miles of the trail are marked on a map, but only 600 miles are really complete. Foundation members said the next job is to acquire the land."I'm confidant that will be done, certainly within long before the next 50 years is out," said Wollmer.Wollmer said the work will be better accomplished from the organization's new headquarters, when it's finished."Crossing the beaver dams and going through the marsh areas and through the woods and the roads in between -- it's really a beautiful state, and the Ice Age Trail is a great way to see it," said Wollmer.Foundation officials said that they hope the rest of the trail can be completed through conservation easements. This is when the foundation doesn't buy the land, but rather reaches an agreement with an individual landowner to allow the trail to go through their land while still preserving the rest of the property.The foundation plans to lease the headquarters space from a developer, who said he hopes the foundation will ultimately buy it.The building is being designed by Linville Architects in Madison, who were chosen because of their green building philosophy.Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
