The Washington County Board of Commissioners has passed a resolution indicating its willingness to provide up to $1 million in funding toward a joint effort to acquire a rail line currently used by the Minnesota Zephyr. The 6-mile segment running from the city of Grant to the city of Stillwater would be developed as the Brown’s Creek segment of the state trail system and would connect to the Gateway Trail. The board authorized the county administrator to begin negotiations through which up to $1 million would be granted to the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota to help purchase the line. The Parks and Trails Council would eventually sell the right of way to the state for development as a state trail once state funding is available. The county funding devoted to acquiring the trail would be the first expenditure from the 2006 voter-approved referendum funding the Land and Water Legacy Program.

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