In December, 2006, The North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation (NICTF), in partnership with the LCDC, acquired 5.25 miles of abandoned Union Pacific (UP) rail road right of way (RR-row), stretching from the Riverstone development to Meyer Road in the Rathdrum Prairie. LCDC loaned the NICTF $2.5 million to acquire the UP RR-row. NICTF plans to trade the old UP RR-row to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) RR-row they will soon acquire which is located adjacent to Northwest Boulevard in downtown Coeur d'Alene. NICTF will then sell the old BNSF RR-row to the LCDC for inclusion in the development of the higher education campus. The end result will be a win-win for all partnering entities. The BLM will obtain ownership of the old UP RR-row, and in partnership with the NICTF, develop the old RR-row into the "Prairie Trail" - a pedestrian/biking trail linking northern Coeur d'Alene with the Spokane river corridor and downtown. The LCDC will obtain ownership of the old BNSF RR-row for inclusion into the downtown Coeur d'Alene higher education campus.
