COUNTY BOARD SUPPORT SHOULD LEAD TO BIG IMPROVEMENTS AT BRUCE MOUND
Friday, November 18th, 2005 -- 2:08 PM
Big changes could be coming to Bruce Mound Winter Sports Area. On Tuesday night, the Clark County Board showed overwhelming support for keeping the skiing and tubing facility run by the county. Clark County has operated the facility near Hatfield since 1960. Over the past decade, snowmaking equipment and lights have been added and usership has increased dramatically.
Mark Heil of the Forestry and Parks Department says the county board?s action assures large donations from at least two philanthropic groups and a large-scale fundraising campaign by the Friends of Bruce Mound.
The Listeman Foundation has already announced their intention to donate $150,000 and county representatives have also requested $300,000 from the Lunda Charitable Trust in Black River Falls.
"A firm committment from Lunda will take place in December, 2005. While we don't the know the exact figure, the Lunda Charitable Trust has shared the contribution will be substantial," Heil says.
The resolution passed on Tuesday night was a recommendation from the current board to future county boards that they continue to operate Bruce Mound for at least a decade after these donations are put to use. Heil says Lunda specifically wanted such an assurance before committing to a large donation.
Fundraising organizers hope to raise up to $600,000 over the next few years. The money will be used to install a new chairlift and chalet, but there is no timetable for such improvements.
"As the dollars start to come in, plans need to be formulated," Heil explains. He says the Chalet will be built first, but it is "ambitious" to think it will be built in 2006.
"There's a lot of planning that has to take place before we actually implement the improvements."
Improvements - such as lights and snowmaking equipment - seem to be paying off with increased days of operation and a big jump in usership.
In the eight years before the snowmaking equipment was installed, Bruce Mound was open an average of 22 days per season; last season, Bruce was open for 41 days.
In the eight years before the snowmaking equipment was installed, an average of 3,520 people visited the facility; last year, 17,600 people came to Bruce Mound.
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