The South Dakota Railroad Board is considering selling several state-owned rail lines.
One line up for sale is reviving a nearly decades old debate over a stretch of rail from Caputa to Kadoka.
Two groups are interested in acquiring the almost 100 mile stretch of rail line.
One such group is the City of Rapid City, which is proposing to secure the railbanked line as publicly owned property in perpetuity for a recreational rails-to-trails project, similar to the George S. Mickelson Trail.
The Mako Sica Trail would connect with the Leonard Swanson Memorial Pathway--that runs along Rapid Creed—through the Badlands and to Kadoka.
Patsy Horton is the Long Range Planning Division Manager for Rapid City. She says there’s a growing need for additional shared use paths in South Dakota.
“We thought that this would be a great opportunity for the city to take the lead on trying to get that trail constructed and provide additional economic opportunities for communities to the east, between here and Kadoka,” Horton says.
The City says they will pay the state annually an amount equal to existing revenues generated from leaseholders located within or adjacent to the railbanked property. They estimate that cost being $6,600 a year.
One group of ranchers wants to buy the property outright.
Frank Bloom is with Ranchers Railway LLC, an organization comprised of over 40 landowners and lessees who all have an interest in the land next to the railbank from Caputa to Kadoka. Bloom says he ranches along the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills and says it’s littered with dirty diapers, candy wrappers and bottle cans.
Bloom did not return requests for an interview. During the December Railroad board meeting he said the rail line along his property near Scenic and the Badlands has no phone or road access.
“If somebody has an emergency they’re going to be knocking on my backdoor,” Bloom says. “I already have to put up with it on the Mickelson Trail. I’m very passionate about not having to put up with it on this line.”
Ranchers Railway LLC has a bid of $405,000 to purchase the property and distribute the line back to landowners.