Dear friends,

Help ensure the Grandma's Gateway shared-use trail project in La Crosse becomes a reality.  Sometimes elected leaders repeatedly hear from a small, yet vocal minority, of well-intentioned people. Our leaders begin to wonder if these vocal people who oppose the "Grandma's Gateway" trail project represent the opinion of the masses.  Our leaders need to see the support clearly outways the opposition.

Your support is vital to ensuring that Ellen Hixon will have her own namesake area in the park, a shared-use trail system for everyone, called Grandma’s Gateway.  Please sign the petition.  Let's move forward with your thoughtful voices in enthusiastic support for Grandma’s Gateway!

WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO YOU?

Increased Safety
Grandma’s Gateway was first conceived as a way to help kids get safely from the bottom to the top of Grandad Bluff, without confronting cars and trucks on the narrow and winding Bliss Road. It's made possible by 160 acres of unused La Crosse City park land situated between Bliss Road and Ebner Coulee. To address concerns over visibility to traffic on the 29th street access point, signage, gates, and other forms of safety prevention will be considered to make trail users aware and vigilant of approaching cars.

Conservation and Environmental Impact
The best way to minimize human impact in environmentally sensitive areas is to lead people away from the most sensitive areas through thoughtful trail design. The existing rogue trails and off-trail activity places sensitive species that live in our bluffs at risk. Grandma’s Gateway was designed by trail professionals who know how to mitigate human impact and lead people away from sensitive areas. ORA Trails supports leaving no trace.
 
Ease of Use
Grandma’s Gateway will get families active and in the woods. Older kids will enjoy close-to-home access, reducing the need for parents to drive for drop-off and pickup. Families of all ages will enjoy screen-free outdoor activities, proven to improve health and mood. Research suggests that connections with nature formed in childhood, lead to a lifelong enjoyment of the outdoors and future environmental stewardship.
 
Erosion and Water Control
Recent rains have kept ORA volunteers busy repairing older, poorly built trails from an earlier era. Modern sustainable trail design practices mitigate water flow and keep water “sheeting” across the trail, rather than running down the trail, concentrating flow and forming gullies that negatively impact natural habitats. Grandma’s Gateway will remove rogue trails and better protect the environment.
 
Safety on the Trail
Trail access is easy and safe for neighborhood kids and provides them with a safe place to hike or bike. Thoughtfully developed trails and the elimination of rogue trials help prevent kids from entering dangerous areas along the bluff. Consistent signage and wayfinding will help to prevent trial users from getting lost.
 
Faster Rescue Access
ORA worked closely with La Crosse’s First Responders and La Crosse Police in the design of Grandma’s Gateway, so the trails will provide safer and faster access for bluff rescues. Bluff rescues have been a challenge for our First Responders dating back to the 50’s.
 
Homeowner Property Adjacent to City Park
Space between the trail and homeowner property is limited in several places. We worked to optimize that distance and respect the privacy of homeowners, keeping the trail as far away as possible given the space involved. This is a frequent problem for all communities optimizing city park land while respecting the privacy of nearby residents. 
 
Historical Impact
The Hixon family preserved the face of the bluff as park land, but the quarry continued to operate for another half-century. Rock was brought down through a system of rails, trams, and roads. There is still evidence of that operational infrastructure, most of which will be utilized or visible from the new ORA trail system. These historical scars and revived access points offer great opportunities to share the story of the bluff through educational signs and kiosks.
 

Your support is vital to ensuring that Ellen Hixon will have her own namesake area in the park, a trail system called Grandma’s Gateway.
Sometimes elected leaders repeatedly hear from a small, yet vocal minority, of well-intentioned people. Our leaders begin to wonder if these vocal people represent the opinion of the masses. Our leaders need to hear your thoughtful voices in enthusiastic support for Grandma’s Gateway.

Thank you!

ORA Board