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Trail Tracks is our monthly e-Newsletter with links to www.AmericanTrails.org, one of the world's most comprehensive online resources for planning, designing, building, funding, managing, and enhancing trails, greenways, and blueways. We also bring you news from the halls of Congress, new studies and resources, interesting articles, events, training opportunities, and the latest in trail products and services. Check out the topics below for what's new in the trails world!
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 WHAT'S HOT
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Sustainable Trails Webinar Part 2 of 3 scheduled for August 28 American Trails presents this second of a series of three webinars on Sustainable Mountain Trails, which teaches techniques for building and managing sustainable trails. (Each webinar in this series is independent of each other and can be attended individually.) This webinar titled "Fundamentals of Mountain Trail Sustainability" will be presented by Hugh Duffy. Hugh has been practicing landscape architecture with the National Park Service for 30 years and is the author or several trail design publications, including the hallmark document "Guide to Sustainable Mountain Trails - Trail Assessment, Planning, & Design Sketchbook, 2007 edition."
Registration will be available shortly.
Contact candace@americantrails.org if you'd like to be notified as soon as registration is available. Read more about the first webinar in this series here...
*** Sponsor this webinar for only $250! For only $250*, become a sponsor of this webinar (and any of our webinars in the Advancing Trails Webinar Series) and receive the following benefits:
- Logo recognition at the beginning and end of the webinar on our "thanks to our sponsors" slide
- Verbal recognition of our sponsors during the webinar
- Logo link recognition on webinar webpage
- The webinar will be recorded and all the attendees will receive a link to the recording which will include a pdf showcasing the sponsors' logos with clickable links to their websites
- In the promotional emails we send out for the webinar, all sponsors will be listed with a name link (pending when they come in):
- Promotional emails sent in advance of webinar
- Monthly e-Newsletters
*Please note that this is not an exclusive sponsorship.
If you are interested in sponsoring any of our webinars or have any questions, contact Candace Mitchell, Communications Specialist, at candace@americantrails.org. |
Senator seeks to eliminate Federal funding for trail programs Sen. Pat Toomey (PA) mounted a campaign to eliminate funding for "Transportation Alternatives" which allocates $700 million per year to bike/ped and recreational trails programs. The Senate Finance Committee is debating how to find enough money for current surface transportation obligations. Pennsylvania advocates are urged to sign a letter prepared by the Rail-to-Trails Conservancy opposing his amendment and supporting the continuation of TAP programs. Read more and learn how to take action... |
We're looking for great Recreational Trails Program projects Help us share great examples of the many benefits of the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) across the country! American Trails is currently gathering photos, success stories, and quotes for consideration to run in the Federal Highway Administration's 2014 Recreational Trails Program Annual Report. Please send your information to trailhead@americantrails.org. See examples in the 2013 Report and check the database to see if your trail received RTP funding... |
Shop and support American Trails this summer ONLY THROUGH END OF JULY!
Support American Trails! For June and July, purchase from www.CampGear.com, www.InlineSkates.com, or www.WaterOutfitters.com and a portion of the proceeds will get donated to one of 3 outdoor charities. Please pick American Trails and Help Ensure Trails For Our Future. JUST TWO DAYS LEFT!
If American Trails gets the most donations, we will also win a $1,000 bonus! Thank you in advance for your support!
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NEWS
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More trails in difficult places: Cleveland's Cuyahoga River
Cleveland's Plain Dealer reports on the newest section of Towpath Trail opened along the Cuyahoga River. "There's no question that the completion of the segment, funded with $9.1 million in Federal and state money, is an exciting moment. But it also accentuates how terribly difficult it has been to finish the northernmost six miles of the Towpath Trail in Cleveland." Read more and see photos...
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PA names Redbank Valley system the State's 2014 Trail of the Year Much of the 51-mile Redbank Valley Trails runs along Redbank Creek and includes many bridges and beautiful stone arches. The trail connects schools, soccer fields, and rural areas to commercial and residential centers. This new designation is coordinated by the Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee to elevate public awareness of the State's thousands of miles of trails. Read more and see photos... |
Advocate works to bring new faces to our national parks California outdoorswoman Teresa Baker doesn't just love national parks. She encourages thousands of people around the country to love them, too. For two years, she has been the driving force behind a series of successful events encouraging people of color to spend a weekend exploring nature and history. Teresa's project is the African American National Parks Event. Read more and see photos... |
Planning tool helps measure trail-system connectivity Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is developing new analysis tools for trail planners called the Trail Modeling Assessment Platform (T-MAP). Communities across the country are helping develop and test ways to quantify trail system connectivity, trail demand, and healthcare savings from increased physical activity. The tool will assist in gap analyses of existing trails, as well as estimating traffic volumes and economic impacts of trail use in the transportation sector. Read more... |
FEATURES
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Rochester's natural connection: the Genesee Riverway Trail This ambitious project enables the people of Rochester to experience the beauty of the river and its surroundings, right from their own downtown. The 3,572-foot-long bridge completes the 15-mile Genesee Riverway Trail, crossing over a serene river basin on its way to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail, to the south, and Lake Ontario, on the north. Engineering consultant Stantec worked with city and state agencies to solve the many technical problems. Read more and see photos... |
Bike and brews for trails at Cleveland Metroparks There's some kind of intangible connection between cycling and craft beer. Several breweries across the country take advantage of this connection in their marketing, events, and sponsorships. But it's been less visible in Northeast Ohio, until now. Cleveland Metroparks has married mountain bike enthusiasm with craft beer, and ended up with a profit, all the while staying in compliance with Ohio state laws. Read more and see photos... |
Featured National Recreation Trail: Horse-Shoe Trail, Pennsylvania The Horse-Shoe Trail ("Horse" for riders, "Shoe" for hikers) begins at Valley Forge National Historical Park and ends 140 miles west, to the Appalachian Trail in the mountains north of Hershey. Designated as a National Recreation Trail in 2014, the history of the Trail is entwined with the development of the iron industry in Pennsylvania during the 18th and 19th centuries. Read more and see photos... |
Featured RTP-funded trail: Sand Creek Greenway Recreational Trails Program funding was crucial for the Sand Creek Greenway, beginning with a half-mile section in 1999. Today, the Greenway runs 14-miles through the Denver metro area, connecting two major trail corridors, the High Line Canal in Aurora, with the South Platte River Greenway in Commerce City. Read more and see photos... |
American Trails Cool Trail Solutions Best Practices: boardwalks for accessible trails and nature walks Boardwalks enable access by wheelchairs, strollers, and people with difficulty walking where the trail must cross wet or rough terrain. Boardwalks are often used for interpretive facilities in habitat areas such as swamps. See examples from across the country of boardwalks and elevated walkways for a variety of situations. See commentary and gallery of photos... |
American Trails Business Directory Advertiser IN THE SPOTLIGHT: TrafficGuard® Direct TrafficGuard® Direct specializes in manufacturing the very best manually operated removable and collapsible bollards. Their bollards will assist in providing the security you need to stop unwanted vehicle access to your pedestrian paths and trails. Their bollards are constructed from the finest materials to ensure durability - even under the toughest conditions. From light duty parking solutions to high strength security bollards, they have the right products to fit your specific needs. Learn more about TrafficGuard® Direct bollards... |
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INTERNATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM
May 17-20, 2015 ~ Portland, Oregon
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Exhibit and sponsorship opportunities The Sponsorship & Exhibitor Packet is now available! Exhibitors get to choose their booth location in the order they send in their contract and payment (some exceptions apply). If you are interested in more recognition, we have larger sponsorship levels available with some excellent benefits to boost promotion for your organization. Download the Sponsorship & Exhibitor Packet now...
Exhibitors save 15% if you send in your contract and payment by August 31. Thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors to date: Learn more about the upcoming and past Symposiums... Contact Candace Mitchell, Sponsor & Exhibitor Coordinator, if you have any questions at candace@americantrails.org. |
FEATURING the Professional TrailBuilders Association Sustainable Trails Workshops and Outdoor Trade Show The Professional TrailBuilders Association (PTBA) and the American Trails International Trails Symposium (AT ITS) are proud to announce an exciting new partnership program -- the Sustainable Trails Workshop Series and "Legacy Trail." Through this program, and in conjunction with the International Trails Symposium, PTBA will offer a series of hands-on workshops focusing on the important skills and techniques involved in the sustainable design, planning, construction, and maintenance of trails for all types of users in all types of environments. This series of workshops will result in a local segment of sustainably and professionally built trail being left behind as a legacy of the AT ITS and the PTBA Sustainable Trails Workshop. 
PTBA will also provide an Outdoor Demonstration Area and Trade Show as the kick-off to the Symposium on Sunday, May 17. This is the only trade show in the nation dedicated to trailbuilders and trailbuilding tools, technology, and techniques. The outdoor demonstration area will have dirt, terrain, rocks, logs, and brush for equipment demonstrations. See the exhibitor contract for details on even more exposure for your business. Learn more about this exciting new partnership... |
National and International Trails Award nomination forms available American Trails presents the National and International Trails Awards Program to recognize organizations, agencies, businesses, and individual leaders who are working to create trails around the world. Nominations for the various categories of awards are now available, with the winners to be announced at the 22nd American Trails International Trails Symposium in Portland, Oregon in 2015. Three new awards for international trails will be featured. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 15, 2014. Read more and download the 2015 award nomination forms... |
| INTERNATIONAL NEWS |
Iceland's Laugavegurinn Trail is beautiful but tough Henry Wismayer reports on one of Icelands' popular but challenging hiking trails in the Wall Street Journal: "With no nightfall to worry us -- at the height of summer, the sun does not fully set this far north -- we lingered at every turn, and let our imaginations run wild with the surroundings, which evoked Nordic sagas. Here was a cave that looked like a dragon's lair, there a horned outcropping shaped like a vaulted baronial hall. To the east, a glacier glittered aquamarine." Read more and see photos... |
South Africa's Rim of Africa Trail runs over 600 km The Rim of Africa Trail is South Africa's leading long distance mountain trail. The route is over 600 km and can be hiked in a combination of 6, 7, or 8 day sections. The Rim of Africa Trust works to establish and maintain the route, encouraging hiking while promoting the conservation of these remarkable mountains and their rich biodiversity. Read more and access trekking resources... |
Canadian trails to improve public access to North Saskatchewan River The Edmonton Journal reports on new trails along the North Saskatchewan River, North America's longest metropolitan park system. The Province's Minister of Tourism, Parks, and Recreation calls the trails and river access project "an excellent example of government investing in families and communities." Read more and see photos... |
| TRAINING & RESOURCES |
Learn more in 2014 with American Trails Advancing Trails Webinar Series American Trails continues the dynamic online Advancing Trails Webinar Series to help trail planners, supporters, and managers learn about focused topics of special interest. Our webinars are eligible for CEUs through the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS), an authorized independent CEU provider through IACET (International Association for Continuing Education and Training). Our 75 minute webinars are worth 0.10 CEUs and are available for an additional $20 fee. Check out upcoming American Trails webinars for 2014 (details and how to register for August and September webinars coming soon): - AUGUST 28, 2014: Fundamentals of Mountain Trail Sustainability ~ Part 2 of 3 (presented by Hugh Duffy, National Park Service)
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2014: How to Build Top Notch Equestrian Facilities (presented by Jan Hancock, Hancock Resources, LLC)
Read more and see current Advancing Trails Webinar Series schedule... |
Building Urban Trails in Difficult Places webinar recording available American Trails presented this webinar July 17, 2014 to help trail planners address the challenges and complexities of building trails in difficult situations. The webinar was led by three seasoned greenway experts with a long history of successful urban trail building: Chuck Flink with Greenways Incorporated, Bill Neumann with DHM Design, and Bob Searns with The Greenway Team. The presenters reviewed alignment strategies, structural systems, and techniques for solving these problems and building quality trails. Purchase the webinar recording now and you'll also receive a pdf with clickable links to excellent resources presented during the webinar. Purchase in the American Trails Online Store... |
Resources on Mountain Trail Sustainability available from American Trails Resources and the recorded webinar on "Sustainable Mountain Trails ~ Part 1 of 3" are available on the American Trails website. The webinar includes tools and techniques, examples, and case studies on sustainable trail design and maintenance. Numerous additional resources from presenter Hugh Duffy draw on his years of experience with the National Park Service. Read more and access the webinar... |
Institute will provide resources for Federal lands transportation alternatives The Federal Lands Transportation Institute will continue much of the work begun by "Transit in Parks" (TRIPTAC), which is closing. The Institute will produce an ongoing newsletter for training related to transportation (including trails and bikeways) on public land. Many recorded training sessions will also be available. Read more and access training... |
"Dangerous by Design" challenges our road design policies Americans are walking more often for fun and to get to places in our neighborhoods. But we are still dealing with a legacy of roadways that fail to account for the safety of pedestrians. Smart Growth America looks at where design failures cause fatalities, and who's most at risk, presenting data from every county, metro area, and state. Download "Dangerous by Design" (pdf 4.6 mb)... |
Four-day OHV trail layout and design clinic offered in August Dick Dufourd of RecConnect in association with the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council will be conducting a four-day trail layout and design clinic August 23-26, 2014 in Great Falls, MT. The sessions include one day in the classroom and three days learning, analyzing, and laying out a trail in the field. Read more... |
Late summer trails training and educational opportunities Here are some of the trail-related training opportunities coming up this summer. See the Online Trails Training Calendar for details... August 7-10 - Boulder, CO * Subaru/IMBA Trailbuilders School August 19-23 - Great Falls, MT * Annual NOHVCC and INOHVAA Joint Conference August 20-24 - Steamboat Springs, CO * International Mountain Bicycling World Summit August 23-26 - Great Falls, MT * Great Trails: OHV Location & Design Clinics with Dick Dufourd August 28 - Online Webinar hosted by American Trails * Webinar: Fundamentals of Mountain Trail Sustainability ~ Part 2 of 3 presented by Hugh Duffy with the National Park Service (Each webinar in this series is independent of each other and can be attended individually) September 4-7 - Colorado Springs, CO * Subaru/IMBA Trailbuilders School September 15-17 - Washington, DC * Transportation and Federal Lands September 18 - Online Webinar hosted by American Trails * Webinar: How to Build Top Notch Equestrian Facilities presented by Jan Hancock with Hancock Resources and an American Trails Board Member September 18-20 - Taos, NM * Subaru/IMBA Trailbuilders School Contact us with your scheduled training opportunities at nttp@americantrails.org. |
| JOIN THE AMERICAN TRAILS NETWORK |
Join American Trails and receive a gift of an 18-ounce Klean Kanteen water bottle!
American Trails is excited to announce a new co-brand partnership with Klean Kanteen! Members who join at the Trail Professional level or higher will receive a gift of an 18-ounce stainless steel Klean Kanteen commemorative water bottle celebrating American Trails 25 year anniversary!
Water bottles are also available for purchase in our Online Store.
Klean Kanteen introduced the first hydration bottle made from stainless steel to give people a safe and healthy alternative to plastic. Their mission, like American Trails, promotes sustainability and healthy lifestyles for everyone. You can learn more about them at www.kleankanteen.org.
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Working together - works! There is strength in numbers!
For over 25 years, American Trails has been a collective voice for a diverse coalition of enthusiasts, professionals, advocates, land managers, conservationists, and friends of the outdoors and livable cities. American Trails strives to enrich the quality of life for all people and the sustainable development of communities by advancing and promoting the development, preservation, and enjoyment of diverse, high quality trails and greenways. We envision a network of trails within 15 minutes of every home, school, and workplace.
American Trails will continue to keep you informed on both trail know-how and issues critical to the future of trails. With your help, we can increase funding for trails, keep more trails open, and improve the health and well-being of Americans of all ages and abilities, including our children.
American Trails is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
 
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QUICK LINKS
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- Learn more about the International Trails Symposium ~ May 17-20, 2015 in Portland, Oregon
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Find products and services for trails in our Online Business Directory.
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Visit our Blog.
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Join us on Facebook and Twitter!
- Learn about and find National Recreation Trails (NRT) near you today!
- I'm a Pathways for Play advocate. Ask me why.
- The Online Trails Training Calendar connects you with courses, conferences, and trail-related training.
- Purchase books, maps, memberships, and webinars through the American Trails Online Store.
- Need Trails Training? Visit www.TrailsTraining.net.
- Cool Trail Solutions: view galleries of trail projects, enhancements, and facilities to give you ideas and see how others solved typical trails and greenways problems.
- If you appreciate the myriad of resources we provide on our website to help you do your work better, please help support American Trails ~ by making a tax-deductible donation today.
- American Trails - maintains one of the World's most comprehensive online go-to sources for planning, designing, building, funding, managing, enhancing, and supporting trails, greenways, and blueways at www.AmericanTrails.org.
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Send news and calendar items to trailhead@americantrails.org.
Advertising Opportunities:
Learn about cost-effective advertising opportunities in our Trail Tracks e-Newsletter! Find out more here.
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: Boardwalk through the wetlands on Stu Visser Trail System, Holland, MI; photo by Stuart Macdonald
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