Osawatomie’s Citizen of the Year has fought for years to develop the trail system in the area. Former state senator Doug Walker was named the 2019 Citizen of the Year last week and had been the driving force behind establishing an eastern terminus for the Flint Hills Nature Trail at the Karl E. Cole Sports Complex in Osawatomie.
Walker is the president of the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, the group that transformed the abandoned railroad bed into a nature trail. The City Council established the Osawatomie Trails Task Force in October 2018 to oversee trail design, fundraising, promotion, hiring a contractor, land acquisition, property surveys and obtaining easements. $263,000 has been raised for the project and construction is about 75% finished. The trail stretches across East-Central Kansas from Osawatomie to Herington.
Walker says the development of the trail has been a long process and fairly controversial when he first started the campaign in Anderson County in the late 90s. He sees Osawatomie becoming a major hub for trail visitors from the Kansas City area, noting that Osawatomie provides the closest access to the trail from KC.
