Connecting two of the premiere recreational trails in central Iowa has been the focus of Dallas County’s Conservation Director for some time now.

Mike Wallace says it’s a large project that will have a big impact on not only the towns on the trails but the county and the region as a whole.

“The Dallas County Conservation Board actually owns and operates sections of both (the Raccoon River Valley Trail and High Trestle Trail) so this is a logical thing for our department to be involved in.  It will provide definitely a boost in the arm from an economic standpoint, for the communities and trail users in general.  It provides a significant quality of life on the positive side.  Overall this is something that our department is very much involved in and seems like a logical connection or link that needs to be done.”

Wallace says by securing money from several different funding sources, they will be more competitive when trying to secure larger grants to help make the project move forward faster.

Though there’s no set timeline for the project right now, Wallace says it revolves around funding and he would like to see it completed as soon as possible.