“We are hoping this initial develop-
ment will help spark interest, support,” says
Bartlett. “People will see it’s happening, and
they’ll want to see it continue.” In particu-
lar, he says, project supporters are hoping
that a large and spectacular trestle bridge
over the Vermilion River will capture the
attention and imagination of local residents.
That’s one reason trail development was
planned to start there.
But “the absolute first thing we did was
to identify very sensitive areas, including
wetland and prairie areas,” Olson says. “We
did that before the engineering even began
so that we could tell the engineer, ‘You’ve
got to protect these areas.’” In addition,
because these prairies have already been dis-
turbed—through the initial development of
the railroad corridor, farming on adjacent
lands, ongoing roadwork and, sometimes,
encroachment—restoration and repair will
also be needed.
For his part, Monk is hoping develop-
ment of the Kickapoo Rail Trail will help
jumpstart development of the Heartland
Pathways as well, ensuring long-term pro-
tection of that corridor. The high value of
land for agricultural use makes it all the
more difficult to protect, Monk explains.
“Unfortunately, the northern portion of the
Heartland Pathways is in jeopardy,” he says.
This segment starts at White Heath and
runs west for 23 miles, through Clinton
Lake State Recreation Area and Weldon
Springs State Park. “We have lost trails to
farm pressures before,” Monk adds. “The
thing is to try and convince locals of the
value of trails to their communities.”
Because the Heartland Pathways deal
closed before federal funding for trails was
available through the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the
project is not eligible for many of the tra-
ditional grant mechanisms used for trail
development, making funding a difficult
proposition. Monk is hoping that increased
public support will spur local and private
investment.
The southern fork of the project is fur-
ther along. A small portion of trail has
already been developed south of White
Heath. One segment is the 1.2-mile
Sangamon River Trail, which the city of
Monticello (
cityofmonticello.net
) leased
and developed for city residents. Another
segment that’s up and running is the
1-mile-long East Prairie Bicycle &Walking
Path, a rail-with-trail just east of the city.
And a third area, between Seymour and
White Heath, has been developed by the
Monticello Railway Museum (
mrym.org
),
which includes more than 100 pieces of
railroad equipment and excursion trains
that use a former railroad line.
“We are hoping that the popularity of
the Sangamon River Trail and the upcom-
ing Kickapoo trail will help generate public
interest and support,” Monk says.
Monk’s group is thinking well beyond
its current holdings, however. Heartland
Pathways hopes to purchase a 3-mile
tract of contiguous rail corridor between
Seymour and Bondville that is being con-
sidered for abandonment by the Canadian
National Railroad; it could form the
basis of an eventual connection with the
Kickapoo. In addition, the group is eyeing
the purchase of an old roadbed adjacent
to an active railroad corridor north of the
Heartland Pathways, to create a rail-with-
trail. From a biodiversity perspective, Monk
says this 15-mile section from Paxton to
Rantoul is one of the best prairies left in
the state.
Collaboration and Education
In addition to the CCFPD and the
VCCD, many groups are collaborat-
ing on the Kickapoo Rail Trail project.
The Champaign County Design &
Conservation Foundation (CCDC), for
example, is working to obtain private
donations and individual funding to
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