Stutsman County Park Board Backs New Trail Builders Association 6-0

A volunteer group maintaining trails at the Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs won unanimous backing from the Stutsman County Park Board on Tuesday, March 17, when the board voted 6-0 to approve a formal letter of support for the proposed Stutsman County Trail Builders Association.

Park board member Merri Mooridian said the group wants to organize as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is submitting a grant application to Jamestown Tourism to help cover the legal costs of formation. The nonprofit's central aim: raise enough money to keep trails maintained at both reservoirs and across Jamestown's trail network.

"One of their goals is to be able to raise enough funds, have enough funds to be able to maintain the trails at both reservoirs and throughout Jamestown," Mooridian said.

She said the association would look to maintain all multipurpose trails in the area, with a particular focus on connecting them into a more uniform system. "I think people mountain bike on them, plus they walk and hike or run on them," she said. "Community members have been wanting to find a way to connect the trails so that they are all about the same."

The board's action comes as a recently completed citizen survey pointed to strong public demand for trail investment. Commission Chair Levi Taylor said 81% of respondents felt strongly about adding, expanding, and improving trails and walking loops in existing Stutsman County parks. The survey drew 303 responses, which Taylor said "instilled about a 95% confidence ratio in the results."

"I think it's a great way to move forward to address those needs," Taylor said.

Those survey results will feed into a broader comprehensive plan the Park Board is developing to set community priorities. Jessica Alonge, the county's auditor and chief operating officer, said the next step is a companion parks and recreation survey open to all county residents through midnight on April 5.

Park board member Amanda Hastings was absent from the March 17 meeting. The 6-0 vote reflects the count of members present.

Taylor and Commissioner Mike Hansen also updated the commission on a Kidder County Water Resource District meeting they attended on Friday, March 13, though details of that discussion were not disclosed.

The Trail Builders Association has not yet filed for nonprofit status; the Jamestown Tourism grant application is intended to help clear that legal threshold before the organization formally launches.