July 30, 2026
By Tim Hundt
VIROQUA, Wis. — The Viroqua City Council has approved a cost-sharing agreement to preserve a cherished 40-acre property owned by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, ensuring the land remains open to the public for at least two more years.
The agreement, authorized during a Common Council meeting on Tuesday, July 28, establishes a formal partnership between the city and Vernon Trails, Inc., a local nonprofit organization. Under the terms of the deal, which commences Aug. 1, 2026, the city will reimburse Vernon Trails for 50 percent of the annual lease payments due to Running-Johnson-Ray Post No. 3032. Based on the current annual rent of $11,000, the city’s contribution will total $5,500 annually, split into two semiannual payments of $2,750.
In return, Vernon Trails has committed to maintaining the 40-acre wooded parcel, ensuring the trails and signage remain safe and reasonably available for public recreation.
The agreement concludes nearly a year of tense negotiations and deep public concern over the future of the land. Facing severe financial strain from aging facilities and lagging membership, the VFW post began considering a land sale in late 2025 to cover its operating costs. VFW representatives explained that the local board members are in their 70s and 80s, and they feared that if the local post dissolved due to a lack of funds, the charter and its land would revert to the state or national VFW organization, leaving the local community with nothing.
After previous purchase and lease proposals broke down, the VFW listed the property on the commercial real estate market in late March 2026 for $760,000. The listing sparked a final push from outdoor advocates and newly elected Mayor Krista Browne to secure a public-private partnership and save the green space from private subdivision development.
Supporters warned that losing the parcel would be devastating to Viroqua’s outdoor community. The VFW land is more than three times the size of Eckhart Park and represents more than half of the remaining green space within the city limits. The threat of development prompted a community petition that gathered more than 1,500 signatures.
The property is home to “Veteran Hills,” a highly rated, 18-hole championship-caliber disc golf course built by Vernon Trails volunteers in cooperation with the VFW since 2013.
The preservation of the park is built on a massive foundation of community investment. Since signing their original agreement with the veterans, Vernon Trails says their organization has poured more than $100,000 of grassroots funding and sponsorships into the property. Additionally, volunteers have contributed more than 5,000 hours to build and maintain the park’s amenities, which are also used for hiking, trail running, snowshoeing, and winter fat-biking.
The newly approved two-year agreement provides immediate financial relief to the VFW while keeping the trails open and free to the public. It also preserves the option for a long-term purchase of the land in the future.
Keith Yahn, representing the VFW, expressed optimism about the outcome. Yahn confirmed that although the agreement is for a straight two years, the option to purchase the property remains open afterward. He urged the public to respect the property during the lease term.
“Just respect. That’s all,” Yahn said. “You know, it’s got to be taken care of. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully, it works out.”
Vernon Trails Volunteer Executive Director Alycann Taylor said her organization is grateful for the outcome and hopes this gives everyone time to find a long-term solution.
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue our partnership with the VFW and to expand that collaboration to include the City,” said Taylor. “This renewed commitment reflects what can be accomplished when organizations work together for the benefit of the entire community. The past year has been challenging at times, but it has also highlighted just what a gift it’s been to be given access to this property and how much volunteer effort and stewardship goes into maintaining this outdoor recreational gem. We hope this two-year lease serves as a meaningful reset. An opportunity for the community to come together in support of both the VFW and Vernon Trails, while ensuring this special place continues to be cared for and enjoyed for years to come.”
Mayor Krista Browne has campaigned heavily on public-private partnerships to protect public assets and prevent rural development, but also expressed a desire to think through long-term solutions more thoroughly.
“I want to see us come up with a better long-term solution than just having more private entities that have to have agreements,” Browne said. “It would be better in my opinion to create a private public partnership that builds an anchor for our community and shows a time when people who have given service to our country are in need of help, but we rally around them”.
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