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Dane County Takes Final Steps Toward Creation of New County Park Named for Longtime County Supervisor

December 07, 2012
Casey Slaughter Becker, Office of the County Executive 608.267.8823 or cell, 608.843.8858
County Executive

County Looks to Acquire 207 Acres from Lyman Anderson’s Family Farm to Develop Park in the Town of Oregon

 

Thanks to a continuing partnership with the Lyman F. Anderson family, Dane County is moving forward with acquiring land in the Town of Oregon that will be developed into a new county park, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today.

 

Pending approval by the Dane County Board, the county will purchase an additional 207 acres of the Anderson family farm needed to qualify as a county park, and move forward on a master plan to create the Anderson Farm County Park.  The property features ponds and beautiful rolling agricultural fields and the property offers great promise for hiking, snowmobiling, educational purposes for beginning farmers, and more.

 

“The generosity of the Anderson family is helping us move closer to adding a unique new outdoor destination to our great park system,” said Parisi.  “This new park responds to an important need in the surrounding community, and once complete, will offer something for everyone from entire county to come and enjoy.”

 

Years of input from the surrounding community and the Anderson family have helped shape a vision for the county park, which currently includes miles of hiking, a trail connector to the Capital City bike trail, winter sports such as cross country skiing, a dog park, and camping.

 

As a tribute to the farming legacy of the Anderson family, the new park would also include unique opportunities for beginning farmers to work the land and receive hands-on agriculture education.

 

“Anderson Family Farm Park will be a destination for Dane County residents that incorporates the values that were most important to  Lyman Anderson,” said local Dane County Supervisor, and resolution sponsor, Jerry Bollig.  “Lyman would have been honored to know that future generations will continue to enjoy his family farm and all the amenities that will enhance family bonding, farming education and an active lifestyle. Lyman would have been honored by this memorial tribute.”
 

The public can still provide input on the planning process for Anderson Farm County Park by attending the information meeting to review the final draft master plan to be held on Monday, December 10th  at 7:00 pm at the Oregon Town Hall, 1138 Union Road, Oregon, WI 53575.

The final draft master plan can be viewed online at: http://www.countyofdane.com/lwrd/parks/planning.aspx#master_plans

 

Funding for the master plan process was made possible through a generous donation by Patricia Anderson.

 

Parisi thanked the Anderson family for their continued support and partnership throughout the county’s planning process, “Anderson Farm County Park will be a fitting and lasting tribute to a man and his family who have done so much for Dane County and its residents.”

 

Former Supervisor Lyman Anderson was a farmer who was active in town, county and state government for over forty-three years and was dedicated to agricultural, natural resource, and land use issues.

He was first elected to the Oregon Town Board in 1961, where he served until 1974. Between 1975 and 1977, he represented the 47th Assembly District in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Anderson served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors for 28 years, from 1972 through 1976, and from 1980 until 2004.

 

The county will acquire the 207 acres from the Anderson family through the Land Conservation Fund for $12,000 per acre.

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