WHAT'S HOT

American Trails is proud to present "Assessing and Creating More Accessible Facilities and Programs" on Thursday, May 24. This webinar is the latest educational program in the American Trails Advancing Trails Webinar Series. Featured presenter Mike Passo leads sea kayaking trips and teaches accessible trails workshops. Mike and others will share experiences with creating paddling trails on urban streams, and real life examples and case studies of water trail challenges.  Learn all about the program and how to sign up... 

Join us June 13 for our webinar on the art of sustainable trail management 

Join us June 13 for our 6th webinar in the American Trails Advancing Trails Webinar Series titled "The Art of Sustainable Trail Management" presented by Tony Boone Trails, LLC. Learn the basics behind developing and managing natural surface, shared-used trail systems. Topics ranging from bench cut construction to rolling contour design will be covered. The webinar is geared primarily towards beginning and intermediate level trailbuilders: including volunteers, agency staff, and professional trail crews. Additional webinars may follow and provide significantly more detailed sessions ranging from risk management to dry-laid stone work, according to student needs and past requests. Learn more and sign up...

House and Senate begin conferencing on new transportation bill

The House and Senate began a conference committee in early May to try to reconcile their versions of a new transportation bill. If Democrats and Republicans can't agree on a final bill, Congress will have to extend the existing SAFETEA-LU yet again. Trails and bike/ped programs are included in the authorization, which expires Sept. 30. The conference committee is trying to address two very different visions for transportation, which would have big impacts on trails and bike/ped programs. Watch for updates and action alerts to support trails...

New Online Business Directory look means special limited time offer for advertisers

The American Trails Online Business Directory has a new look which means a special, limited time offer for advertisers! Until the end of May, advertisers can take advantage of the $295/year (less than $25/month) price for a listing in the Business Directory that includes a profile webpage complete with photos, links, and can be updated any time throughout the year. The price will go up to $495/year (less than $45/month) after May 31. We have studied other onsite Business Directories and our new look is user friendly, includes a search function, is interactive, and our office can make updates and add new listings quickly and easily. Read our current advertiser testimonials sprinkled throughout the Business Directory to see how valuable our Directory has been to our vendors! Check out the Business Directory today and see how to become an advertiser...

The America's Summit on National Parks, held in January 2012, seeks to bring a message of nonpartisan support for the national parks and related conservation, historic preservation, and recreation programs to national leaders. Organizations have an opportunity until May 31 to sign on to support the Centennial Agenda that "engages the American people in an active partnership to protect and revitalize our national parks."  Read more and learn how to support the initiative... 

June is time for National Trails Day® and Great Outdoors Month

June is a special time to celebrate America's Great Outdoors. Presidential recognition of the American Recreation Coalition's Great Outdoors Week and proclamations from governors across America are featured along with tours, work days, and celebrations. One special day in June is sponsored by the American Hiking Society and a variety of partners: National Trails Day® 2012 will be held Saturday, June 2. The Boy Scouts of America are joining in this year to highlight the 20th anniversary of NTD. June is a great month to get some work done, recognize volunteers, and celebrate outdoor recreation. Read more about Great Outdoors Month and National Trails Day...

American Trails "SUPPORTING TRAILS" pages provide the latest on current issues and debates and the ongoing efforts of American Trails to continue its 24 years of support for positive policies and funding for trails and greenways. Please join our efforts to document the value of trails and bicycle/pedestrian facilities as transportation infrastructure, and be an active and positive voice in the transportation reauthorization process, Federal land management agency budgets, and more. We continuously add news and action items to these pages. Check back often and forward this link on through your networks... 

Through the American Trails Online Store you can now purchase webinars (and archived webinars), trail maps for some of America's most spectacular outdoor destinations, trail planning and design books, American Trails memberships, and more! The newly designed format is easy for shoppers and provides more trail resources than ever before! Click here to access the new Online Store... 

Opportunity for input: FHWA National Online Dialogue on Improving Transportation Performance

Learn more about the hosts and the Symposium... 

Exhibitors: learn how to get your logo on the American Trails homepage

Calling all exhibitors! Through the end of May any exhibitor or sponsor of the 21st American Trails International Trails Symposium will get a logo listed on the American Trails homepage as well as on the Symposium webpages in our sponsor feeds. Exhibitors can also take advantage of getting an article in one issue of our Trail Tracks e-Newsletter, should they choose to write one. This article will be archived on the American Trails website. And don't forget July 31st is the deadline to save 15% off exhibitor fees. Learn more and download the exhibitor contract...

We want to extend a huge thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors to date for the 21st American Trails International Trails Symposium! Learn more and link to these exhibitor's websites... 

• Arizona State Parks
• Central Arizona Project
• Radisson Fort McDowell Resort
• Fountain Hills CVB
• Mesa CVB
• Scottsdale CVB
• National Park Service
• US Fish & Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• US Forest Service
• US DOT Federal Highway Administration 
• American Quarter Horse Association - STEP Program
• Aztec Engineering
• Okanogan Trail Construction, Inc.
• Advanced Resource Solutions, Inc.
• American Conservation Experience
• The Acorn Group/Acorn Naturalists
• Asphalt Systems/USA Soy Solutions
• Backcountry Horsemen of America
• Bellfree Contractors, Inc.
• Beneficial Designs
• E.T. Techtonics, Inc.
• Envirosigns, Ltd.
• Erica Fielder Studio
• Gail Materials
• Interpretive Graphics, Signs, & Systems
• iZone
• K Design
• Kay-Linn Enterprises
• National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
• Northwest Woodland Services, Inc.
• Pioneer Bridges
• Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls
• Professional Trailbuilders Association
• Rhino Marking & Protection Systems
• RideNow Powersports
• Rockart Signs & Markers
• Santa Fe Trail Association
• Southwest Conservation Corps
• Terrabilt Wayfinding Systems
• Voss Signs
• Wheeler

The National Trails Awards are sponsored by American Trails to celebrate the leaders of our national system of trails for their outstanding contributions. This is the opportunity to recognize an outstanding person, project, or organization with America's most prestigious trail awards. A new International Trails category is being introduced this year. Winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet on April 16 at the 21st American Trails International Trails Symposium in Arizona. The deadline for submitting nominations is October 31, 2012. See previous award winners and learn more about the National Trails Awards...

With Mercer County's Pocahontas Trail set to open Memorial Day weekend, providing lodging for incoming tourists remains the greatest need in the area. Jeff Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield McCoy Trail Authority, said, "We are in desperate need for more lodging. Every trail system we open runs a deficit on beds. We are tickled to death people are making investment, but there still isn't enough lodging. Annually there are more than 30,000 visitors to the trail system and 80 percent are not West Virginia residents." Read more about the economic impact of the trails... 

Louisiana canoe trails lure tourists into bayous

A privately funded ecotourism project administered by the LSU AgCenter has led to development of three canoeing trails in northeast Louisiana to lure adventurers to experience its bayous lined with majestic cypress trees. The project was funded with a $115,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation, said LSU agritourism coordinator Dora Ann Hatch. Stuart Johnson of LA State Parks said "The paddling trails developed from the historic site to the Poverty Point Reservoir State Park will demonstrate the potential for economic development and tourism in the area." Read more... 

"The dense network of highways between Newark and Jersey City - including the New Jersey Turnpike - presented a hurdle for planners trying to build a safe route for bicyclists and pedestrians," reports the Wall Street Journal. After years of study and $1.3 million in state funding, the two-mile path is set to finally open later this month. The route includes drawbridges along U.S. 1 and 9 to cross the Passaic and Hackensack rivers into Jersey City and goes to Liberty State Park. Read more... 

Richmond, VA embraces variety of trail opportunities

"Richmond is being transformed, one trail at a time, into a haven of opportunity for bicyclists and outdoor enthusiasts of all types," reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Volunteers are preparing to build, at minimal cost to the city, a bicycle skills training course on Belle Isle for mountain bikers and road racers alike. Helped by the Virginia National Guard, the city is preparing to cut the ribbon on the first half-mile of the Cannon Creek Greenway, built next to the site of demolished public housing. Read more...

Read Roger Bell's posting on trails and open space on the American Trails blog! Check our blog for updates on current topics, ideas, and opinions from the world of trails. We highlight photos and information on trail projects as well as interesting solutions for trail design, access, interpretation, and management. You are also welcome to share your own ideas, resources, and questions. Read more on the American Trails blog... 

Spring issue of American Trails Magazine ~ available now!

The Spring issue of the American Trails Magazine is hot off the press! You can view it now online on the American Trails website. We included some great articles that will take you around the world of trails. Learn how New Zealand built their world renowned cycle system; see China launch a new greenway system; gather ideas on how a partnership works amongst the Back Country Horsemen, the California Conservation Corps, and the Forest Service; and explore the wonderful trails and outdoor activities that Fountain Hills, Arizona has to offer as one of the host cities for the 21st American Trails International Trails Symposium. Read more...

 The results of a new survey showed that 83% of respondents support maintaining or growing federal funding for sidewalks, bikeways, and bike paths. According to survey sponsor America Bikes, "Funding for the street improvements that make biking and walking more accessible and safe are popular with voters, putting policymakers who hope to eliminate biking and walking programs at odds with a majority of the electorate." Read more... 

Canoeing and Kayaking for People with Disabilities presents strategies that give people of all abilities the opportunity to discover the challenge, freedom, and renewal found in paddling. The book was written by adaptive paddling pioneer Janet A. Zeller with a team of experts. Zeller presents best practices based on her years of experience as a paddler with a disability and the experiences of other instructors and recreation and health care professionals. Read more... 

A growing body of research emphasizes that urban neighborhoods with more African-American, Hispanic, and lower-income residents generally lack key walkability features, and that these populations have limited access to high-quality parks and recreational space. At the same time, lower-income and racial and ethnic minority youth are more likely to be overweight or obese. Urban pathways are a potent tool for addressing this inequality. The report, by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, was funded by The Kresge Foundation. Read more and see photos... 

Across the United States, playful trails and pathways are being created to encourage active lifestyles and family recreation. In many cases existing trails can be improved by creating more interactive paths that add playful stops along the way. Choosing the best location, however, is a key to success. Learn more about the principles of establishing a well-located playful path to promote healthy behavior for people of all ages and abilities. Read more... 

New book details land preservation case histories

Terry Whaley, Executive Director of Ozark Greenways, Inc. and American Trails Board Member, reviewed "Lasting Value: Open Space Planning and Preservation Success," published by the American Planning Association. Terry says it's "a great read for advocates of open space, the land trust professional, or volunteer board and committee members of land trusts." The book illustrates "a variety of successful projects from across the country that creatively demonstrate what can be accomplished in communities that take the preservation of open spaces seriously." Learn more and read the review... 

Visit these great websites for information, ideas, and inspiration! 

Purchase archived webinar on best practices for interpretive panels for trails

The American Trails' webinar, "Telling a Better Story: Best Practices for Developing Interpretive Panels for Trails," focuses on strategies for captivating your trail audience with provocative, well designed interpretive panels. Get practical advice for developing theme-based messages, establishing budgets, selecting images and design elements, understanding how visitors learn, writing interpretive text, and preparing files for production. Learn about case studies, and take away interpretive sign valuable tips and techniques to turn ordinary panels into extraordinary experiences. American Trails members save! Purchase a copy of the archived webinar today....

At Crotched Mountain in Greenfield, NH, sustainable trails are also accessible trails. This new trail system has become the focal point for workshops teaching trail development using the proposed federal trail accessibility guidelines. Workshops are planned for June and October, 2012. The Crotched Mountain Foundation's new trail system was designed and built to the proposed federal trail accessibility guidelines and began hosting accessible trails classes in 2011. Read more and see photos... 

American Canoe Association provides adaptive paddling workshops

Several Adaptive Paddling Workshops will be offered during 2012. These workshops are designed to provide instructors, outfitters, recreation program providers, and rehabilitation professionals with the information they need to integrate paddlers with disabilities into their programs. Read more and see workshop schedule...

Training opportunities: see our online calendar

Check the Online Training Calendar for a wide variety of learning opportunities for volunteers and professionals engaged with trails of all kinds. American Trails, through the National Trails Training Partnership, works with agencies and organizations across America to promote trail-related training. Let us know if we can publicize your training, courses, workshops, or conferences! See details on events below and many more opportunities for training on the Online Trails Training Calendar...

* Online Webinar: 10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Pacific ~ PURCHASE NOW! 

June 2 - On trails across America!

* American Hiking Society's National Trails Day®

June 2-3 - USFS Columbine Trail in Salida, CO

* Salida Crew Leadership for Trails Training

June 6-9 - School Delafield, WI

* Wisconsin Trail Design and Construction

June 6-9 - Sturbridge, MA

* International Snowmobile Congress

June 7-9 - Lewisburg, PA

* OHV Recreation Management Workshop

June 7-10 - Durham, NH
* Adaptive Paddling Workshop

June 13 - Webinar: The Art of Sustainable Trail Management

* Online Webinar: 10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Pacific ~ PURCHASE NOW!

June 18-21 - Ingersoll/Woodstock, Ontario, Canada

* Trailhead Ontario

June 19-20, 2012 - Greenfield, NH

* Sustainable Trails for All and Trail Accessibility Guidelines

June 21-23 - Workshop Glenwood Springs, CO

* Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition 12th Annual

June 21-24 - Akron, OH

* Adaptive Paddling Workshop 

June 26-29 -Vancouver, BC, Canada

* Velo-City Global 2012 Conference

July 12-14 - Lexington, KY

* Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference

Contact us with your scheduled training opportunities at nttp@americantrails.org.

American Trails knows that you are passionate about trails and the positive impacts they bring to your community. Congress is taking dramatic steps to reduce federal trails funding in the upcoming year. We need your commitment of support in order to help us secure funding and to continue advocating for more and better trails across the country! Please take a moment to become a member of the American Trails network or make a donation to support our work...

Thank you for supporting American Trails and America's trails!  

  .........  

 QUICK LINKS 

• Visit our Blog. 
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• One of the largest online resources in the world for trail advocates is www.AmericanTrails.org.
• Attend, Exhibit, Sponsor! The 21st American Trails International Trails Symposium (ITS) ~ April 14-17, 2013. Check out the early exhibitor discounts and benefits and their deadlines!
• Learn about and find National Recreation Trails (NRT) near you today! 
• I'm a Pathways for Play advocate. Ask me why. 
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• Purchase books, memberships, and webinars through the American Trails Online Store.
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• Need Trails Training? Visit www.TrailsTraining.net. 
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Send news and calendar items to trailhead@americantrails.org.

American Trails is a tax-exempt, nonprofit charitable organization under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible.

Header photo: Utah Conservation Corps working in Wasatch Hollow Open Space, Salt Lake City; photo by Christie Jackson