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August 13, 2008

 

 

Governor Jim Doyle

Room 115 East – State Capitol

Madison, WI  53707

 

Dear Governor Doyle,

 

Thank you for directing your efforts and state resources to help residents, businesses and communities we represent to recover from the devastating flooding damage suffered in June 2008.  Today we respectfully ask for your help to expedite state repairs on the 400 State Trail so this critical regional tourism industry asset can be reopened as soon as possible.

 

Many businesses and jobs in the region depend on the revenue generated by thousands of residents and visitors using the 400 Trail.   However, the 400 Trail remains closed due to flooding damage to several bridges and surface segments of the trail.  Department of Natural Resources staff has begun the trail repair process and we are grateful for that.

 

Flood damage to numerous state properties means traditional funding sources are overwhelmed and the normal bureaucratic repair process is overwhelmed.  Your help is needed to expedite the repair process and find a funding source so 400 Trail repairs can proceed quickly.

 

To minimize the financial hardship on the businesses and communities along the 400 Trail, please make the repair process a high priority in your administration.  Specifically, we ask you to direct the Department of Natural Resources to:

• Complete a damage assessment and calculate the cost to engineer and repair trail and bridge damage
•  Identify funding to fully repair the damage
• Accelerate work to reopen the trail soon to avoid further economic hardship on the area tourism economy

If repair and reconstruction work is not completed by the snowmobiling season of 2008-09, several trail-dependent businesses and the economy of small communities along the trail will suffer major financial loss, in some cases resulting in business failure.

 

Please join us in making the re-opening of the 400 State Trail a priority goal. 

 

Thank you for your consideration of our request.  We welcome you to contact us directly if you would like to discuss this issue.

 

 

With kindest regards,

 

 

 

 

Senator Dale Schultz                                                        Representative Sheryl Albers