News Releases for November 2002
November 12, 2002
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Medora Trail Will Provide Improved Access To Scenic Badlands
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven today announced plans for the state to participate in building a four and one-half mile multi-use trail in Billings County from Medora, south to Custer’s Wash. The trail will start as a gravel path from Medora to Perched Rock, and continues as an asphalt path extending from Perched Rock to Custer’s Wash. Two observation shelters will also be built along the trail.
“This new trail will give visitors to Medora an opportunity to access the wilds of the Badlands and some of North Dakota’s most beautiful scenery directly from the city limits,” Hoeven said. “This trail development is one aspect of ongoing efforts to enhance Medora’s outdoor experiences as well as its facilities.”
According to Randy Hatzenbuhler, president of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF), the trail development is one component of an overall plan that includes construction of an 18-hole golf course and, in the future, a significant conference and retreat facility.
“The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation is very pleased to receive this support from the Governor and the Department of Transportation,” Hatzenbuhler said. “The development of a trail system that connects Medora to other new trails and activities just three miles south of town is very important. Thousands of people will use these trails when visiting the Medora area.”
The trail will be financed with a $640,000 grant, using Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds provided through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s (NDDOT) Enhancement Tourism Plan.
Transportation Enhancement Tourism Plan projects are prioritized by the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the Department of Commerce/Tourism Division, and the NDDOT. The project will be built through a partnership between the NDDOT, Billings County Commission, and the TRMF.
Part of the grant will help pay for a trail headquarters building and parking lot along the trail. The location of the headquarters building will give persons with disabilities access to the trail’s asphalt section. Eventually, the entire trail will have an asphalt surface to enhance access for the disabled.
“This is the kind of project TE funds have been set aside for,” NDDOT Director David Sprynczynatyk said. “One of the categories eligible for TE funds is bicycle and pedestrian transportation projects. In addition, projects that help to tell the history of an area, such as this project will do, are eligible for funding. The proposed trail is a perfect example of how TE funds can be used to enhance the quality of life in North Dakota.”
Additional projects built in North Dakota using TE funds include the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn, the Bismarck Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau Building, The Missouri/Yellowstone Confluence Center at Fort Buford State Historical Site, the Lake Metigoshe Multi-Use Trail and many others.
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