Rails-to-Trails continues expansion

Firelands Rails-to-Trails, Inc. has been busy this past year finishing the last section of trail in Huron County, now completing approximately 16.5 miles of rail-trail for hiking and biking and other outdoor pursuits. Firelands Rails-to-Trails is also seeking to encourage communities to get involved in the trail primarily by way of the Trail Town Program of the Buckeye Trail Association. Valerie Gardner is the co-chair of the Lake Plains Chapter of the Buckeye Trail Association, and she volunteered the following summary of the Buckeye Trail Association Trail Town program. Firelands Rails-to-Trails, Inc. is a part of the Buckeye Trail and is actively supporting the trail town concept in Huron County. Let's learn from Valerie: In 1958, Merrill Gilfillan wrote an article for the Columbus Dispatch proposing a trail from Cincinnati to Lake Erie. One of his hopes was that the trail would encourage young people to slow down and learn about their native land. From that beginning, the Buckeye Trail grew to over 1,444 miles under the auspices of the Buckeye Trail Association. The Buckeye Trail Association is the leader in building, maintaining, protecting and promoting the use of Ohio's longest scenic hiking trail for citizens, communities and partners. In addition, the Buckeye Trail Association provides outdoor recreation, opportunities to volunteer, education, access to the varied resources of Ohio and generates local economic benefits. A Buckeye Trail Town is a designation awarded to communities along the trail that supports hikers with services, promotes the trail to its citizens and embraces the trail as a resource to be protected and celebrated. The relationship between trail users and trail town communities is mutually beneficial. Trail town communities provide physical and business amenities around which trail users can plan their outdoor recreation. Trail users increase trail-based tourism and recreation for economic and community development. The Buckeye Trail Town Program works with the community to help identify ways local officials and trail volunteers can work together to capitalize on the benefits of the Buckeye Trail. The program works with communities to grow awareness and support for the Buckeye Trail, improve access to the trail, gets residents of the community active in outdoor activities, recognizes local businesses that support the trail and promotes the economic benefits of the trail. There are currently 16 designated Buckeye Trail Towns. To learn more about the Buckeye Trail, please visit buckeyetrail.org, or contact info@buckeyetrail.org. Firelands Rails-to-Trails is an active member of the Buckeye Trail Association. The Buckeye Trail Association lies on the North Coast Inland Trail from Genoa, in Ottawa County, all the way across Sandusky County,and across most of Huron County until it departs the North Coast Inland Trail east of Wakeman. It passes through Bellevue, Monroeville, Norwalk and Wakeman, and Firelands Rails-to-Trails is seeking to involve those towns in the Trail Town Program. Trail towns draw tourists to their communities and provide them services. That does two main things. It: • Gives the local communities notoriety • Brings tourist dollars into the local economy in exchange for services to visitors. In addition to the Buckeye Trail Association website, learn more about the North Coast Inland Trail at FRTTI.org. We are open for all between dawn and dusk daily. Lance FrankeFirelands Rails to Trials If you want to submit a Local Voices column, please email it to brandonaddeo@tandemnetwork.com. Columns should be 500-750 words and include the writer's headshot, or other photo.