Trails Roundtable
March 29



Photo by Doug Stalker

Columbia County Trails

Did you know that there are more than 25 miles of trails on CLC’s Public Conservation Areas alone? That’s in addition to the other community trails and major trail networks that are underway in the county, including the northern extension of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and Kinderhook-Stuyvesant-Stockport Intermunicipal Trail. Our county has an abundance of abandoned railroad corridors, utility rights-of-way, equestrian trails, and other linkages that could add up to a world-class countywide trail network. Trails are important not only for recreation, education, and personal health, they are also increasingly recognized as an important component in community economic development. On April 2nd, 2011 we convened the first Columbia County Trails Conference on planning for community traills, and we’re enthusiastic about continuing to collaborate to improve trails in the County.

Dutchess Rail Trail

Here is another great edition of Plan On It, the Dutchess County Planning Federation e-newsletter, with an interesting article on the Dutchess Rail Trail, a county-community collaboration that originated in the 1980′s. Columbia County is now positioned to move forward on at least two great trail corridors like this one.

Read the PDF.

EPF Grants

Municipalities and not-for-profit organizations can apply for funding for the “acquisition, planning, development, and improvement of parks, historic properties, and heritage areas”  in the next round of Environmental Protection Fund Grants, just announced by New York State Parks .  A total of $12.3 million dollars is available in this round.  The application deadline is September 1st and you may download or request the application as of June 1st.

Your first step should be to attend one of a series of workshops that State Parks will hold to answer questions about the program and the application process.  The closest workshop to Columbia County will be on June 21st from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Taconic Regional Office, 9 Old Post Road, in Staatsburg, Dutchess County.  There is also a meeting in Saratoga Springs on June 14th.

Materials from April 2, 2011 Trails Conference

Conference Agenda

Conference Participants

Conference Presentations

• Keynote: Jeff Olson, Alta Planning
• Julie Stokes, Saratoga Plan
• Marlene Bissell, Hudson Crossing Park
• Ruth Elwell, Walkill Valley Rail Trail

Conference Resource CD

• Hudson River Valley Greenway
  • Greenway Trail Vision Plan
  • Trail Segments
  • Water Trail Sites
  • Greenway Trail Vision Map
• Parks & Trails New York
  • Bicyclists Bring Business
  • Getting on Track
• Greenway & PTNY
  • Getting Started
  • Landowners Guide
  • Statewide Trails Plan