Winneshiek County Conservation is creating a long range plan for the Neste Valley Recreational Area

When Winneshiek County Conservation purchased the Neste family farm just south of Decorah, it not only got land for The Dry Run Trail and Neste Valley Recreational Area, it got a total of 170 acres of land, including a house and several farm buildings.

In order to manage all that property, the organization has hired a consulting firm to draw up a long-range plan.  As part of that plan, Winneshiek County Conservation Board members visited the property Thursday to look at several buildings on the property.  The board will have to decide whether to preserve the buildings, as well as how to preserve them and what costs would be involved.

The master plan for Neste Valley Recreational Area will also be useful in other ways, including decisions on where to route the recreational trail and where to locate the proposed campground.

The County Conservation Board will meet next Tuesday at the Courthouse Annex in Tuesday, but Thursday's meeting at the Neste farm was just informational and no action is expected Tuesday.