The MECCA Cross Country Ski Trails are now public land after being purchased by the Iron County Forestry Department. According to the Daily globe, MECCA President Mike Shouldice said that being entirely on public property gives the group the ability to plan, expand and enhance the trails without risk of having to reroute trails as they might have being on private property. The $20,000 purchase price was funded through a pair of grants, one through a Knowles-Nelson grant and the other through a grant obtained by MECCA through the Gogebic Range Health Foundation. Both the Forestry Department and MECCA will invest about $10,000 each once the purchase of the land is finalized.