The City Council is being asked to accept the donation from the Western Sugar Cooperative of an easement through its property along the Yellowstone River near Garden Avenue to accommodate a segment of the Marathon Loop, a 26-mile trail that is intended to run  from Garden Avenue west to the Zoo and north to Billings Logan Airport before returning to its starting site.

The donation was arranged by the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce with the assistance of the City's Parks, Recreation and Public Lands (PRPL) and Legal Departments.   In 2009, the Chamber prioritized development of trails in the area for both health and tourism reasons.  The City will develop and maintain the site.

The property will be available to walking, biking and other non-motorized activities.  It will be opened sometime in 2018-2019, when a current grazing easement expires and appropriate fencing and signage is complete. Aside from its importance to helping to complete the Marathon Loop, it has historic significance because it is near Clark's Crossing, the area where the Lewis and Clark expedition crossed the Yellowstone River.

City Council may:

• Accept the easement;
• Direct staff to modify the effort; or
• Disapprove acceptance of the easement.

The easement is being given to the City at no cost.  The City will be responsible for constructing and maintaining the trail.  Since easement negotiations have just been completed between Western Sugar Cooperative, the Chamber and the City, the exact costs of the development and maintenance are not yet known.

Staff recommends that the City Council accept the easement from Western Sugar Cooperative for the future construction of a segment of the Marathon Trail..