2 days ago
Pennsylvania parks officials learn tips for building; connecting trails
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Parks and recreation officials attended a learning seminar to help develop more trails in the state.
The Trail Symposium, held at Brass 16823 on Axemann Road, drew over 75 people to a daylong session focused on creating efficient trails for running, biking, and equestrian use. Topics of discussion ranged from planning to fundraising, design and marketing.
'It's a very broad interest, but that's how the National Parks Service trails get on the ground,' Mary Monroe Brown, senior vice president of advocacy and engagement for the International Mountain Bicycling Association, said. 'It's a collaboration of all these groups and people understanding this vision of trails.'
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Attendees got a chance to network and share ideas in between sessions about their management of trails. These ideas were a way to take each piece of advice back to the home trails and create ways to connect each trail for a larger network of paths.
With each connection, a new way to attract visitors and boost local commerce arises.
'The people that go hiking, camping and mountain biking, they spend a lot of money on their affinity and their recreation,' Phillip Millburn, the vice president of IMBA, said. 'The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has this data to back this case up. The economic potential is significant.'
Pennsylvania has 650 trails that span over 14,000 miles. The IMBA sees the potential in developing these connecting trails to create a statewide network.
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