Friends of the Casey Jones Trail

March 31, 2022

Friends of the Casey Jones Trail Overview

From Friends of the Casey Jones State Trail Association Friends of the Casey Jones State Trail Association is garnering community support for trail development. Read the article in Redwood Gazette March 24, 2022 edition: "Friends of the Casey Jones State Trail" Read the full story
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new paved trail segment with fields on each side
March 15, 2022

Eight friends groups receive grants from P&TC in 2022

Parks & Trails Council continued its popular Friends Group grant program in 2022 by issuing grants ranging from $350-$3,450 to eight friends groups. As a stewardship partner to specific parks and trails, Friends Groups can play a significant role in supporting habitat restoration efforts, trail ...
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kids filling a hole of a newly planted tree
February 10, 2022

2022 Legislative Monitoring: Community-driven trail projects

We support volunteer friends groups to advocate for trail projects in their communities. The table below highlights key actions that have been taken on this priority issue during the 2022 Legislative Session. We will work to update this table throughout the session. Casey Jones State ...
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man bicycling on fresh pavement
November 1, 2021

Capital Investment Committee hears pitch for Casey Jones Trail Funding

From Friends of the Casey Jones State Trail Association Friends of the Jackson County Trails has been working hard to develop an off-road trail for mountain biking, hiking, and snowshoeing. Read the article in Pipestone County Star October 29 edition: "Capital Investment Committee hears pitch ...
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new paved trail segment with fields on each side
September 1, 2020

Trail group continues steadfast support amidst pandemic, refreshes logo

Meet the Friends of the Casey Jones State Trail Association Recently, the friends group played a crucial role in helping to advocate for funding needed to design, engineer, and pave (most) of a five-mile section of the Casey Jones State Trail. This new segment of ...
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Bike along the trail
May 23, 2016

Legislative Session Closes with Mixed Results for Parks & Trails

The 2016 Legislative Session came to a close late Sunday with a flurry of activity as legislators worked to pass bills before the mandatory midnight deadline. While legislators were able to strike deals on a supplemental budget and a tax bill, the two sides couldn’t …

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Minnesota State Capitol Dome
February 1, 2016

Rep. Schomacker receives legislator of distinction award

District 22A Rep. Joe Schomacker was honored Feb. 24 as a Legislator of Distinction by Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota during its advocacy day at the Harriet Island Pavilion in St. Paul.
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February 26, 2015

Funding for Casey Jones State Trail

This bill would have appropriated $846,000 in bond proceeds for the continued development of the Casey Jones State Trail in southwestern Minnesota. Bill title: Casey Jones Trail funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated Bill Number: HF 641 & SF 581 House Authors: Schomacker; Hamilton; Swedzinski Senate …

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October 1, 2013

Persistence in fulfilling the vision for a trail in southwestern Minnesota

Fast forward 46 years and you may be surprised to see that only 11 miles of the 110-mile trail corridor for the Casey Jones is paved and another 9.5 miles is natural surfaced. “You could look at it as not much done over 40 years, or you could look at it as a lifetime’s work,” explained Bruce Johnson, a board member for the Friends of Casey Jones Trail.
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Casey Jones State Trail sign for Currie Loop