President’s Letter

Well, it's late January and we are in the full grip of winter. There is a dusting of snow on the ground and I haven't seen a robin in two months. The days are short and cold, but experience tells me this won't last forever. Every day we get a few more minutes of daylight and that's enough to keep my spirits high. Sometimes, I think my body follows the seasons. In winter I sleep more, run less, and reflect often. The arboretum trail is in this dormant stage of winter, but behind the scenes, we have already begun work for one of our most ambitious years to date. In this short letter, I will reflect back on last season, yet give you a glimpse into our big plans for 2025.

I won't go through our entire list of accomplishments from 2024 because that may suffocate you with boredom. However, let me point out three marquee events within the PCA. First, we have water!  It’s incredible that we have functioned throughout our existence without water to our shed. This basic amenity, funded through a simple Platteville Community Fund grant, has made life so much easier for us. Second, streamside stabilization was completed in three different areas. This process prevents washout and undercutting of the trail and protects infrastructure. This has been in the works for a few years and it was nice to finally address some problem areas. Thirdly, we have been awarded a $136,700 land Stewardship grant from the DNR. This means we are planning an expansion!

Our biggest project of 2025 will be the efforts to expand the Platteville Community Arboretum. We are looking to acquire approximately 12 to 15 acres of green space for public use. The project is labeled 'Valley-to-Eastside Expansion Project' and these parcels run along a retired railroad bed towards Eastside Road. It's a picturesque area and fits our mission statement perfectly. This is a DNR backed project to ensure these lands would be protected indefinitely. Our goal is to raise $200,000 to complete the project. We are in Phase 1, which is a land acquisition pursuit only. The ultimate goal would be to build a trail on the retired rail bed. We envision our Valley Road acquisition to serve as a trailhead and parking lot for the community. Currently, we are in a fundraising process and I'm hoping many of you have already caught wind of this project. We are relying heavily on community support to complete this goal.

The PCA has really strengthened the connection to the WI DNR through our Valley-to-Eastside Expansion Project. Gene Weber, and a few others, are building further onto this connection through DNR RTP (Recreational Trail Program) grants. RTP grants provide funds to develop and maintain trails and facilities in our community. This will be the first year we apply for this category of grant.  We're excited to expand but also maintain and beautify what we have. Collectively, these projects will keep us very busy, yet productive, in 2025.

I'll close by extending our gratitude to supporters of the PCA. Every year we get 2,000+ hours of volunteer help and enough donations to cover our operating budget. The numbers continually amaze me. It tells me you value what the PCA brings to this community. This inspires our board to mimic your efforts and continue to improve on what we already have. 

Cheers to 2024, but we're rolling up our sleeves for 2025.