Letter to the

E ditor Pine Line Trail should be extended:

Imagine living next to a long piece of rusty metal that some big company owns but doesn’t use. This is the situation my husband and I find ourselves in, as our property abuts the WATCO rail line running from Spencer to Medford.

After moving to the area last spring, we saw two small trains run by during last year. As for 2023, we have seen none. We have heard that this portion of the railway will be abandoned.

There is a proposed use for this unused area that we believe would benefit many people, especially outdoor enthusiasts. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is proposing the extension of the Pine Line Trail down to Abbotsford. The proposed trail corridor runs from Ashland to Prentice, where it connects to the Pine Line Trail from Prentice to Medford and would continue down to Abbotsford, connecting to another trail system running east to west near Highway 29.

We have hiked the segment of the Pine Line Trail in Medford many times. The year-round trail offers recreation opportunities for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and snowmobilers. It’s a beautiful, well-maintained trail, weaving along waterways and through wooded areas.

This trail system would be a great asset to our communities, bringing opportunities for passerby to stop at local businesses on their journeys and giving local people more options for nearby outdoor activities.

While it would be great to see the Pine Line Trail extended through Abbotsford, why stop there? If the rail line will be abandoned all the way to Spencer, the trail should go as far as possible in order to reach as many users as possible.

For those who feel similarly, please consider commenting on the proposal through the DNR’s website devoted to the draft update of the Wisconsin Trails Network Plan. The Pine Line Trail is referred to as “Corridor 17” in the plan. Comments need to be submitted by August 7. For more information and to comment, visit https://dnr.wisconsin. gov/topic/fl/PropertyPlanning/TrailNetworkPlan or search “trail network plan” on the DNR website, https:// dnr.wisconsin.gov/ Hannah Alden Dorchester