American Trails saves your trails, promotes trail access, and lets you know about trail opportunities. Get involved -- LEARN, CONNECT, ACT, ENJOY!
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January 2018 "Trail Tracks" eNewsletter
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Check out the 2017 NRT Photo Contest entries
American Trails had an amazing response to the latest photo contest for designated National Recreation Trails. We sponsor this annual contest to showcase the great National Recreation Trails from across the country. We have 14 galleries online now and will be announcing the contest winners in February.
Read more and check out the amazing pictures!
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February 22nd Webinar: Trail Construction Cost Realities
American Trails will present this Webinar on February 22, 2018 with Margie Tatro, founder/co-owner of Reineke Construction. This webinar
will deliver a simple, cost estimating tool and provide a list of the key factors associated with trail construction costs.
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Do Bollards really make walkways safer?
Some are urging more protection for walkways after the truck terrorism in Nice, France and New York City. There is even a bill in Congress, the “Stopping Threats on Pedestrians (STOP) Act.” We do need to evaluate our most used, and exposed urban trails for safety. But it’s also a good time to look at how we use bollards and barriers as common management tools.
Read more and see photos...
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Are you looking for a trail job?
There are jobs available for a variety of trail-related work. See the American Trails Employment postings for professional as well as entry-level jobs. We post trails and greenways employment, seasonal work for conservation corps, bicycle pedestrian advocacy, trail organizations, state parks, and federal agencies.
See current jobs...
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Trails have become essential quality of life infrastructure
Mike Passo, Executive Director of American Trails continues his series on "breaking down the silos" between trail user groups: "The burgeoning industry of rural tourism benefits from all types of trail interests and uses the different trail opportunities across our diverse nation to build community and public health in a way that few other efforts can."
Read more and see photos...
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New searchable maps for National Recreation Trails
American Trails has gathered key data on the National Recreation Trails to develop a searchable database and map of all designated NRTs. The nationwide map enables users to select a state, search for a trail name, or zoom in on any area to see individual trails.
Read more and access the nationwide map...
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Featured Recreational Trails Program-funded project: Chief Joseph winter trails, MT
The Chief Joseph winter trail system is a 25+ year project that maintains trails for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fat-tire biking, and other snow trail activities. The Bitterroot Cross-Country Ski Club continues to volunteer hundreds of hours each year to improve the trails.
Read more and see photos...
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Featured National Recreation Trail: Francis Beidler Forest, SC
Visitors can wander along an elevated boardwalk that starts and ends at visitor center past ancient trees, black water swamp, and wildlife of the South Carolina wetlands. The Four Holes Swamp Trail is managed by the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.
Read more and see photos...
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Featured Trail Industry Manufacturer: Loris and Associates, Inc.
Loris and Associates, Inc. specializes in urban corridors and shared-use paths as well as mountain trails in challenging terrain.trail signs. Their design experience also includes pedestrian bridges, retaining walls, underpasses, structures, streetscapes, and traffic calming features. Their low-impact, environmentally sensitive designs focus on delivering exceptional user experience while also meeting federal, AASHTO, ADA, and/or DOT requirements.
Learn more about Loris and Associates in the American Trails Online Business Directory...
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Mount St. Helens and the changing story of trails
"After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, trail designers suddenly had a blank slate to work with," writes Steve Olson of the Washington Trails Association. He explains how this new opportunity shaped the paths we walk today, both near the volcano and far beyond.
Read more and see photos...
Dirt may be the answer to Asheville's $4M greenway shortfall
The Asheville Citizen Times reports on the growth of greenways as one of the city's most popular amenities. "But high construction costs and other setbacks have meant many planned paths remain unbuilt. Now officials are looking to boost the network by moving away from a paved-only system.
Read more and see photos…
Rails-to-Trails conservancy fights for trails as an economic priority
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is leading a bipartisan coalition of business leaders and public officials to tell congress and the White House that interconnected trails need to be an important aspect of any infrastructure funding. They are pointing out ways that trails move not just people, but our economy.
Read more here...
Finding a new calling on the trails
Samantha Hirt tells how she discovered the joys of building trails with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.
Read more and see photos...
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Trails linking Plymouth with Cornwall would have big impact
A new cycle trail network could link Plymouth with Cornwall via Cremyll Ferry
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and provide huge tourism boost.
Read more and see photos...
One million pledged to create longest trail in the world
In a momentous occasion for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant announced on January 3rd at the Garcelon Civic Center in St. Stephen that the province is committing $1 million to connecting St. Stephen with the Trans Canada trailhead in St. John. The connection is a key part of a larger vision that will see the Trans Canada Trail connected with the East Coast Greenway, thereby creating the longest trail in the world.
Read more here...
The story behind Ireland's Greenway success
Greenways have achieved the seemingly impossible task of convincing land owners to allow strangers on their land without any compensation – how did they manage it?
Read more here...
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Webinar Series from American Trails continues in 2018
American Trails brings you great training opportunities via convenient webinars. Topics we'll cover in 2018 include Trail Construction Cost Realities, Sustainable Trails for All, the Trails Movement Worldwide, and a series on Accessible Trail Development.
Read more and see the 2018 webinar schedule...
American Trails is proud to be a certified provider of the following learning credits and continuing education opportunities:
- Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES)
- American Institute of Certified Planners Continuing Maintenance (AICP CM)
- National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) CEU equivalency petition
American Trails will include the above learning credits and CEUs in the registration fee for every webinar as well as ITS registration. Starting in January 2018, AT members pay only $19 per webinar, and nonmembers pay $39.
Learn to be a National Recreation Trails Ambassador
American Trails is seeking motivated volunteer Trail Ambassadors that are willing to visit as many of the National Recreation Trails in their region as possible over the next year, to gather data and identify issues on these great trails.
Learn more about the NRT Ambassador Program...
College trails program funded by Duke Energy
Duke Energy TRAILS at Rockingham Community College is the first community college program of its kind in the United States. Trail design and layout, construction, maintenance, and management skills are the core focus at the North Carolina school.
Read more and see photos...
Accessibility evaluation and plan for National Lakeshore in Wisconson
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has prepared a "Self Evaluation and Transition Plan" on accessibility, including trails, at the Lake Superior site. The findings of this report are intended to guide the park in planning and incorporating accessibility into future projects.
Download 176-page study (pdf 8.2 mb)...
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18 trail training opportunities across America
February 2018
February 11-14, 2018 — The Corps Network's National Conference
February 22, 2018 — Webinar: Trail Construction Cost Realities
February 25 - March 1, 2018 — Public Lands Alliance Convention and Trade Show
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JOIN THE AMERICAN TRAILS NETWORK
Working together - works! There is strength in numbers!
For over 29 years,
American Trails has been a collective voice for a diverse coalition of enthusiasts, professionals, advocates, builders, land managers, conservationists, and friends of the outdoors and livable cities.
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 tax-exempt, nonprofit charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible.
QUICK LINKS
- American Trails - maintains 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.
- SAVE THE DATE: 2019 International Trails Symposium in Syracuse, NY – April 28 to May 1, 2019
- Visit American Trails "Supporting Trails" web page for alerts and legislation.
- Read about great Recreational Trails Program funded projects by visiting the Federal Highway Administration’s RTP Database website.
- Find products and services for trails in our Online Business Directory.
- Visit our Blog.
- Join us on Facebook and Twitter!
- Learn about and find National Recreation Trails (NRT) near you today!
- 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 joining the American Trails Network today.
- Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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 above for what's new in the trails world!
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