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2012 RTP Achievement Awards

Award-Winning Trail and Greenway Projects

 

The members of the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) have selected the winners of the "Annual Achievement Awards" in recognition of outstanding use of Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds. The award winners were recognized in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2012 at the U.S. House of Representatives Rayburn House Office Building, during the annual celebration for the American Recreation Coalition’s Great Outdoors Week.

Learn more about the Recreational Trails Program

 

 

Chattahoochee Nature Trails (Florida)

Construction and Design – Local

• Sponsor/Partner: City of Chattahoochee
• Congressional District: Steve Southerland (R-2-FL)
• Senators: Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R)

 

The City of Chattahoochee is a small rural community of 5,445, nestled on the majestic river bluffs along the beautiful Apalachicola River in north Florida. The community, located within a “Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern,” has been working to enhance eco-tourism opportunities that could provide increased economic activity.

As part of that effort, the City decided to upgrade trails in a local park which contains beautiful, diverse, and in some cases, rare plant life as well as a Native American mound dating back centuries. Under the leadership of volunteers Charles and Anne Thrash, who learned about the RTP and participated in state-provided trail-development training, the project incorporated sustainable and accessible design principles easily from beginning to end.

The completed project, which used $95,145 in 2008 RTP funds and matched it with $63,430 more, involves three trails and a new trailhead within the park’s trail system.

The new trailhead offers parking, an informational kiosk, and a water fountain. The new Muscogee Trail, which leaves from the trailhead, includes a ¼ mile of new hard surface, another ¼ mile of new boardwalk, 1½ miles of new natural surface trail, and a 16-foot wood bridge.

In addition, the existing ½ mile Angus Gholson Trail was renovated and the almost one-mile-long fitness trail was given a more stabilized surface for users of the 20 fitness stations. New rest areas, informational kiosks, interpretive and directional signage were all placed appropriately along the three trails.

The Chattahoochee Nature Trails system now enjoys increased use by both residents and visitors, contributing to local community revitalization while providing a much appreciated health benefit. Based on the project’s success, plans are in the works to enlarge the trails system and eventually connect it to a nearby state park.

 

For more information:

Elmon Lee Garner, City of Chattahoochee, P. O. Box 188, Chattahoochee, FL 32324. Phone: 850-663-4475.

Coalition for Recreational Trails:

The Coalition for Recreational Trails, a national organization representing the nation's major trail interests, has been working since 1992 to build awareness and understanding of the Recreational Trails Program, to support its implementation and to help insure that it receives adequate funding. The Annual Achievement Awards are part of the Coalition's ongoing effort to promote and celebrate this highly successful program, which has greatly enhanced the quantity and quality of trail experiences available to the public. For more information about CRT and its members, go to: www.funoutdoors.com/coalitions/crt.

 

Annual achievement awards presented by the Coalition for Recreational Trails: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000