HEALTHY TRAILS, HEALTHY PEOPLE

Register Now for September Healthy Trails, Healthy Communities Conference

Register now! Parks & Trails New York's Healthy Trails, Healthy Communities Conference promises two days of exciting and informative workshops and activities for all trail advocates. The conference will be held September 28 and 29 at Monroe Community College, located steps from the Erie Canalway Trail in Rochester. Select from four field trips to Rochester-area trails and 9 workshops on a wide range of trail-related topics. Be inspired by nationally recognized, visionary trails advocate Craig Della Penna and learn more about the role of trails in the Spitzer administration from Canal Corporation Director Carmella Mantello and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash. Register early, as space is limited for some activities.

Give a Trail Hero the recognition they deserve

August 3 deadline for nominations

Behind every successful trail project there are amazing persons who rarely receive the recognition they so richly deserve. Why not reward these individuals or their organizations by nominating them for one of Parks & Trails New York´s 2007 Greenway and Community Trail awards?
Award categories include:

• Public Leadership
• Volunteer Service
• Corporate Partnership
• Healthy Trails, Healthy People
• Outside the Box

Nomination forms must be postmarked, e-mailed, or faxed to Parks & Trails New York by August 3, 2007. Winners will be recognized in Rochester on September 28, 2007 at the Awards Dinner as part of the Healthy Trails, Healthy Communities conference.

Get your trail on the big screen!

Send us inspiring photos of your trail in high resolution format for the Parks & Trails New York Trails Photo Revue. During the awards dinner at our Healthy Trails, Healthy Communities conference, we´ll use the multiple large screens in the banquet room to showcase the wealth of New York´s trails. Be sure your trail is included, even if you can´t attend the conference. Please include a caption and credits. Parks & Trails New York reserves the right to use the photographs, with credits, to support its trail advocacy efforts.

Ninth Annual Cycling the Erie Canal Tour is Underway!

On Sunday, July 8th, the Ninth Annual 400-mile Cycling the Erie Canal tour kicked off from its starting point in Buffalo, NY.

The Cycling the Erie Canal tour is an annual cycling event organized by Parks & Trails New York. Cyclists cover 40 to 60 miles per day, on completed portions of the Canalway Trail. The rest of the trip is along public roadways with good shoulders. About 500 riders are enjoying the many historic canal villages and rural countryside as they head to Albany.

Like the many styles of bicycles seen on the trail during the tour, there is no ´average´ cyclist. Ages for the 2007 tour range from 3 to 78 years old. The average rider is 50 years of age. More than one-third of the riders are new to the sport of cycle tourism.

The Cycling the Erie Canal tour will end in Albany on July 15th. Cyclists will be welcomed to the finish line by a host of volunteers, friends, and family. We find that a large number of riders return year after year to participate in the Cycling the Erie Canal tour.

For additional photos and comments from riders, click here. Check www.ptny.org for news and announcements about next year´s 10th anniversary tour!

Universal Trail Assessment Process Training Participants Selected

For the second year, Parks & Trails New York will host a Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) Trail Assessment Coordinator training at Gilbert Lake State Park, in Laurens, NY. On July 25 and 26, 17 selected applicants from across New York will participate in the training as part of Parks & Trails New York´s Accessible Parks & Trails Program.

The goal of the Accessible Parks & Trails Program is to increase the accessibility of New York´s outdoor trails for people with physical limitations. A first step in that effort depends upon obtaining standardized, objective information about trail conditions as can be obtained through the Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP).

Funding for the UTAP training was provided in part by the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation and The New York Community Trust.

Bicyclists Bring Business!

Roundtables generate excitement about bicycle tourism

A series of free roundtables on the growing bicycle tourist market along the Canalway Trail generated excitement and ideas from local business people, tourism professionals, elected officials, and interested citizens who attended the sessions held recently in Jordan and Utica. The Jordan roundtable was especially appropriate; coming just hours after the new Camillus to Jordan section of Canalway Trail was officially opened. The Bicyclists Bring Business! roundtables, organized by Parks & Trails New York in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, focused on how to attract and profit from the ever-growing number of cycling tourists. Read a summary of ideas that emerged during the roundtables.

Parks & Trails New York awards trail mini grant to Pulaski

Preservation and Revitalization of Pulaski, Inc. (PROP) has been awarded a Healthy Trails, Healthy People program mini-grant of $500 toward the cost of a wooden trailhead sign for the section of Salmon River Greenway trail located at the John Ben Snow Center and Haldane Rink within the Village. The John Ben Snow section of trail is the first phase of Pulaski´s efforts to develop trail along the Salmon River within the Village of Pulaski and Town of Richland. According to PROP president Margaret Weigel, "Presently, the trailhead within the Ben Snow Park is not well identified. The new sign will help encourage use of our trails by tourists as well as Pulaski residents. There is already a lot of interest in trail development within Pulaski. A recent survey indicated that residents want to see more trails and the Pulaski Health Center is actively encouraging patients to walk."

The mini-grant program is open to those communities already receiving technical assistance from Parks & Trails New York through its Healthy Trails, Healthy People program. The mini-grants are designed to help a community undertake a specific task or program that will further advance its trail project.

Parks & Trails New York launches Stop, Watch Walk! road and trail intersection pilot safety education campaign on Erie Canalway Trail

Parks & Trails New York kicked off its Stop, Watch, Walk! pilot safety education campaign on June 2, National Trails Day. The campaign is aimed at promoting the safe and responsible behavior of trail users and motorists at road and trail intersections.

When out on the Erie Canalway trail, look for Parks & Trails New York´s Stop, Watch, Walk! rack cards. These colorful cards are designed to reinforce the two key elements of the Stop, Watch, Walk! Campaign:

• For trail users: Stop at road and trail intersections. Dismount if you are a cyclist. Watch for cars, even if you are in a striped crosswalk. Make sure drivers see you before walking across.
• For motorists: Watch for trail users when approaching an intersection. The law requires you to yield to a pedestrian or dismounted cyclist within the crosswalk.

Funded in part by a grant from the New York State Governor´s Traffic Safety Committee, these cards will be distributed in canal communities across New York State. In addition, the rack cards will be available at participating bike shops along the Erie Canal corridor.

If you are interested in obtaining the Stop, Watch, Walk! rack cards, contact Martin Daley at mdaley@ptny.org.

Have you seen the sign? The Stop, Watch, Walk! Public Service Announcement is coming to the airwaves!

As part of its road and trail intersection safety campaign, a public service announcement (PSA) entitled "I Saw the Sign" should soon be airing on local television stations in communities along the Canalway Trail and on the Parks & Trails New York website. The PSA was prepared by Lyons High School seniors Mylika Pritchett, Brittany McCray, and Dan DeWolf in response to Parks & Trails New York´s PSA contest. The contest was open to the 275 schools in the 14 counties that border the Erie Canal. Through the contest, Parks & Trails New York wanted to give students the opportunity to have their work presented in the real world and help deliver the messages of road and trail intersection safety to young people, especially new drivers.

The 29-second PSA opens with a tragic accident; a cyclist is hit by a distracted driver at a road and trail intersection. In the second scene of the video, students illustrate safe approach and crossing technique for both trail users and motorists.

Senior Mylika Pritchett was happy to develop a video that would reach people beyond the walls of her school. "This was a great opportunity to work as a team to do something for a larger audience," she said.

The students all agreed that the project was enjoyable in addition to being educational. "It was a lot of fun. We went through a lot of trial and error and learned a lot from our mistakes," commented Greg Maddock.

The Lyons school was presented a $500 prize which will be used to purchase much needed equipment for the school´s fledgling broadcasting program.

The public education campaign is part of Parks & Trails New York´s ongoing study of road and trail intersection safety. The work is funded in part by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the New York Governor's Traffic Safety Committee.

Trail Spotlight

Canal Corporation Announces Completion of 12-Mile Canalway Trail Segment

The New York State Canal Corporation announced the official opening of a 12-mile Canalway Trail segment in Onondaga County. The trail between Warners Road in Camillus and Route 31 in Jordan will link to a Canalway Trail segment currently under construction to create a 20-mile bike and hike path adjacent to the Old Erie Canal between Camillus and Port Byron.

The trail opening was part of the Canalway Trail Celebration, a series of events held across the State to mark the progress of the Canalway Trail and to promote National Trails Day.

The 12-mile segment is part of a multi-million dollar program to complete the Erie Canalway Trail linking the Hudson River and Lake Erie. More than two-thirds of the 348-mile Erie Canalway Trail is now complete. The $1.2 million project was funded with Federal Transportation Enhancement funds administered by the New York State Department of Transportation.

Funding

Trail grants available for Hudson River Valley Greenway communities

The Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley has announced its annual Greenway Trail Grant Program. Funding is available for trail planning, construction and amenities, historic landscape preservation, regional and local partnership development, and other resource enhancement and ecological development projects. Requests can range from $1,000-$10,000. This is a matching grant program requiring 100% match of funds awarded. Applications are due September 7, 2007. For more information, contact the Greenway office at 518-473-3835.

National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program Accepting Applications

The National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, also known as the Rivers & Trails Program or RTCA, is now accepting applications from citizens groups, non-profits and local or state agencies wishing to conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways. Through the RCTA program, NPS staff help communities with goal setting, organizational development, public education and participation, and identification of sources of funding. Applications are due by August 1, 2007 for assistance beginning the following fiscal year.

Trail & Health Resources

Two new trail guides now available

Brooklyn Queens Greenway Guide

A full color guide featuring mapped routes, turning cues, and photos of the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway (BQG) is now available online. The Greenway is a 40-mile, continuous pedestrian and cyclist route from Coney Island in Brooklyn to Fort Totten on the Long Island Sound in Queens. This publication was made possible through funds from the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) under the Transportation Enhancement (TEP) Program, administered by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT).

2007 Herkimer-Oneida Counties Bicycle Atlas

In an effort to highlight the trail system and better serve the local and touring public in the two-county area, the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Study (HOCTS), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Herkimer and Oneida Counties, has announced the publication of a bicycling atlas for outdoor enthusiasts. The 50-page atlas contains information on multi-use trails for walkers, hikers and runners, as well as tourist information for visitors. The public may view and print the atlas by going to HOCTS Web site. Printed copies of the atlas are being distributed across the two-county region and are available free at several locations along the Erie Canalway trail including local tourist information centers, State Parks, libraries, bike shops, and municipal halls, or at the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Study´s office. For further information, contact Matthew VanSlyke, Senior Planner at (315) 798-5710 or at mvanslyke@ocgov.net.

Legislation

New York State

Environmental Protection Fund

The bill to expand the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to $300 million by 2009 passed in both the Senate and Assembly and now awaits signature by the Governor. The Friends of New York´s Environment coalition, of which Parks & Trails New York is an active member, is organizing a campaign to urge the Governor to sign the bill. The EPF provides vital funds for open space, parks, clean air and water, and a host of other environmental programs. The Legislature´s commitment to raise funding for the EPF to $300 million is one step closer to the big goal of a $500 million EPF by 2010.

NYS Lawmakers Pass Hudson Valley Land Preservation Act

The Assembly and Senate passed the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act giving communities in Westchester and Putnam counties the power to create funds to protect their natural and historic heritage. The Act would allow municipalities to put a referendum before their voters that would establish a real estate transfer tax of up to two percent to be paid solely by the purchaser. The tax would only apply to homes that cost more than the median sales price for that municipality (a number calculated annually by the state) and only to the portion of the cost that is above the median. The measure still requires Gov. Eliot Spitzer's signature.

Community Green Trails Initiative gains an Assembly sponsor

The Community Green Trails Initiative, a bill first proposed by Parks & Trails New York, garnered important support when it was recently introduced in the Assembly (A9317) by Francine DelMonte from Niagara County. The bill, which was initially sponsored in the Senate (S02324) by Mary Lou Rath who represents Genesee and portions of Erie County, will establish a task force to develop a plan for a comprehensive system of multi-use trails in New York. The plan would include a vision for a statewide interconnected network of multi-use trails; a GIS inventory of existing trails across the state; identification of new trail opportunities; acquisition and development priorities; design, maintenance, signage, and promotion guidelines; acquisition, construction, maintenance and promotional funding recommendations; and a schedule for implementation of task force recommendations.

Federal

Land and Water Conservation Funding Victory

For the first time in three years, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund state assistance program. Even better news is that the subcommittee recommended $50 million for 2008, a $20 million increase over the funded level of 2007 and 2006. This action by the House Interior Appropriations subcommittee is just the first step in a chain of actions needed to approve a final appropriations bill for 2008.

Parks & Trails New York is a member of Earth Share of New York, an alliance of leading nonprofit environmental organizations. Please look for Parks & Trails New York and Earth Share in your workplace giving campaign brochure. For more information about giving through Earth Share, or to learn how you can help your office set up a workplace giving campaign with Earth Share of New York, check out Earth Share of New York´s web site, www.earthshareny.org. THANK YOU!!