John,
At Trust for Public Land, we have a whole team dedicated to planning, building, and protecting trails—from community trails to congressionally designated trails and everything in between. Cool, right?
See, trails have a unique power to connect, perhaps more than other green spaces. Trust for Public Land partners with communities to help install mountain biking trails, convert defunct railways to multiuse paths, buy and create town-owned community forests, and reclaim old industrial sites for new green space.
As we approach National Trails Day on Saturday, I wanted to share some of my favorite trails and green spaces and what they mean for our work to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. So I hope you'll humor me and keep reading.
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Florida Gulf Coast Trail | Florida
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Take the 366-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail as an example. This trail passes through eight counties and, when completed, will stretch roughly from Tampa to Naples. Decades ago, the entire region was dominated by agriculture, but farms have given way to suburbs. While sections of the trail already exist, many gaps remain. With your support, we’re overseeing a regional effort with public and private partners to complete the trail and connect communities at every point along the corridor.
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Photo credit: Melody Timothee
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Klamath Falls, a city of 22,000, was once a thriving timber town until changing forest policies and a severe earthquake took a toll on the town’s economic and built environments. Trust for Public Land has since helped Klamath Falls envision a new future. Just 10 miles outside of town rises Spence Mountain, where a private landowner allowed the community to create 50 miles of trails on 7,500 acres. Protecting the Spence Mountain property breathed new life into Klamath Falls' economy while ensuring that local residents and visitors retained a healthy outlet.
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Photo credit: Bob Wick / BLM
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Long Island Greenway | New York
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Back in 2020, New York State opened the Empire State Trail, a continuous 750-mile multi-use trail that spans the state from Plattsburgh in the north and Buffalo in the west all the way south to the Battery at the tip of Manhattan. But it ends there, leaving out more than 8 million New Yorkers who live east of Manhattan on the arm of Long Island. Now, a plan is in motion to change that by creating the Long Island Greenway, a new trail that will stretch east from Manhattan all the way to Montauk and link residents of Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens) to the Empire State Trail. And with ongoing community outreach and support, construction of the trail’s first 25 miles will begin in 2025.
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Photo credit: Chris Bennett
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All of these spaces—and many more—are being protected because of our dedicated supporters across the country. Thanks for reading—and for being a dedicated part of this team.
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Josh VanDavier
Trust for Public Land
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P.S. Feeling inspired? Check out this video about why trails are so critical for connecting everyone to the outdoors and to one another.
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