Five Mile Creek Greenway

August 2011

Lots of news from ASRT—everything has changed for our fall events!

When you conduct events on the Alabama rivers, you get used to weather being at least a little bit involved with your job. But this year, WOW. It has all come down to the weather, and in once case, the economy.

Wind damage from the April tornadoes has directly and indirectly caused us to move our Coffee Slough paddle on the Tennessee River to Cypress Creek in Florence. The camping area at Guntersville State Park, home base to our October paddle there, was destroyed. That event has been moved to Huntsville’s Ditto Landing. Budget cuts are closing the US Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds along the Alabama River, including Isaac Creek what was to be home to our Fall Paddle in November. That event has been moved to the exquisitely wild Tombigbee.

Go to www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com for more updates!

Alabama Hiking Trail Society News: Historic Pinhoti Trail Work Days Scheduled by USFS

The final push is on to complete the Pinhoti Trail to the southern end of the Talladega National Forest! We’ve just received word from Leslie Hodge with USFS about a BIG work day! Here’s the message from Leslie. Volunteer if you can for this historic event!

We will meet at 9:00am on August 23 at Bulls Gap Trail Head parking lot (located off highway 148). Please bring PLENTY OF WATER, lunch and snacks, work gloves, hearing protection (ear plugs), a hard hat, safety glasses (sun glasses work fine), bug spray, and sun screen. Please dress appropriate for safe work on a hot day (light colored shirt, long pants, sturdy shoes/boots). If you do not have a hard hat we will have some on hand. We will also have trail building tools but if you have a favorite tool for trail building please bring that along.

We will be machine constructing approximately 4 miles of trail which should take around 10 to 14 days. If you have any questions please let me know. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you there! Lesley M. Hodge Natural Resource Specialist USDA- Talladega National Forest- Shoal Creek RD Email: lhodge@fs.fed.us

Contact Leslie Hodge with US Forest Service at lhodge@fs.fed.us

Recreational trails and parks may be Alabama’s silent industry, but it might take some shouting to get that message out.

That megaphone could come in a form of a study that trail supporters are proposing to detail the impact that recreation has on the state’s economy. Members of the Alabama Trails Commission and advisory members discussed the study July 13 in a meeting at the Alabama Center for Commerce. The commission was formed to promote recreational trails of all types in Alabama.

“One of the problems that we have is convincing people, including many elected officials, that recreation is much more than fun and games,” said Rob Grant, ADECA’s Recreational Programs manager. “It is an economic engine provides jobs and brings money into a community. This is particularly important in rural areas where they are not likely to attract a Hyundai or Kia plant.”

Nisa Miranda, director of the University Center for Economic Development at the University of Alabama, agreed that unique trails and recreation seem to have the potential to draw people from other states and the impact could mean tremendous benefits and economic boosts for some of Alabama’s poorer counties.

“Trails are a wonderful opportunity (for economic development),” Nisa said. “It’s a way to link places and to provide some economic development to places that are really struggling.”

Jim Felder, executive director of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, said the creation of that group seems to be a case in point. Felder said when the organization began, only eight businesses existed along Alabama’s rivers and major creeks to rent canoes and kayaks. Since the organization began sponsoring river ventures and promoting river recreation, there are now 21.

Rob said studies in other states point to the connection between trails, tourism and the overall economic impact.

“We can pull together anecdotal information from other states, but it won’t have the same impact in Alabama that a study conducted in our state would,” Rob said.

Rob said the benefits of the study could result in more support for the development of trails from state and local governments and private businesses and industries.

He said it could also be used to encourage the creation of local businesses ranging from bed-and-breakfast houses and restaurants to recreation outfitters who sell bicycles, hiking equipment or off-road motorized vehicles.

By Jim Plott, CID