Great River Landing tourist hot spot … that Onalaska doesn’t control

The Great River Landing has become a new tourist attraction for Onalaska, but it’s a feature that the city does not control.

Onalaska park director Dan Wick said the city is limited in how it can publicize the Great River Landing because the trail is owned now by the state.

Wick tells us that a land transfer is in the works, however and it could bring more money to the city through annual and daily trail passes.

“A percentage would be sent back to the DNR and the city would be able to keep a percentage also,” Wick said.

Wick says under the proposed agreement with the DNR, the city of Onalaska would get to keep 70 percent of the money collected through trail passes.

The plan could be included in the 2018 Onalaska budget.

There’s also a plan to transfer maintenance from the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources to the city and Wick says it wouldn’t be much of a change.

“There would be no additional staff,” Wick said, noting someone already works part time to handle duties. “We are just looking to increase that individual’s hours by nine hours a week to help with the additional responsibility.”