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Newest Mountain Biking Course in the Midwest coming soon...
Summer 2008 Mountain Bike - Hiking Path Construction courses from IMBA
Click here to get all the information PDF
 Below is a paraphrased article by Tim Wegner (International Mountain Biking Association) about the drive to build a world class mountain biking course within the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. Funding was approved by the legislature in April of 2008, ensuring matching dollars will be released allowing for the construction of the course described below.
Congratulations to Tim and those that spearheaded this effort for their diligence and vision!
As an outdoor enthusiast consider joining these three organizations: IMBA, MORC and Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota. Below are the websites:
Cuyuna Recreation Area Project Update
Once again we have a bill in front of the Minnesota Legislature to create the match for the Federal grant. This is a summary to bring everyone up to speed on this project. We went to Washington, DC, in search of a grant to help fund this project four years ago.
The grant was included in part of the Federal Highway (FHWA) bill. The total amount granted was $700,000 (this amount is released at a rate of 20 percent per year over five years). This grant required us to match 20 percent of the grant with local money. In year 2007 a bill was written and passed by both Houses in the State to fund $125,000 which would have been enough match money to release the entire $700,000. (It works out to 20 percent because of reductions for administration fees by FHWA.) The first year administration fee was 15 percent but it has been reduced in subsequent years to about 5 percent so we now have a greater amount of money for trails than we had originally anticipated.
Another source of match money came from the Hallett Foundation. Local mountain biker and surgeon, Shawn Roberts (Crosby, Minnesota) was interested in forming a MORC chapter in that area and also applying for a grant to help with the match. Hallett provided a grant in the amount of $10,000 and asked us to come back in subsequent years for other grants.
Additional support has come from the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Once this trail system is completed, IMBA wants to put a trail-training center on location. The plan is to have a classroom located either within the recreation center property or nearby where IMBA can conduct training classes on trail construction as well as maintenance techniques. IMBA would like to be able to bring people from around the world to Minnesota so they can learn how to build trails on soils like we have in Crosby, Minnesota. IMBA announced the plan at Interbike this past season.
Currently, they have plans to create five trail-training centers around the United States and their financial commitment to getting this project completed will run in excess of $200,000 for the Cuyuna trail as well as for the training center.
These three organizations have contributed immense support to this project and deserve your support of membership.
In summary, this is where we stand today. Funding was approved and we will begin construction in the spring of 2009. Once we start on construction, the plan is to build 10-15 miles of new trail each year for the next three years.
Our goal remains unchanged which is to fully develop a mountain bike destination center with 30 to 45 miles of trails that will challenge all skill levels of riders.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions or would like to volunteer to help move this project forward.
Tim Wegner
IMBA Representative
Southern Minnesota
Twegner50@yahoo.com
612-845-1345
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