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http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/latest-...ion-trails.html

CHICAGO, IL--(ENEWSPF)--June 2, 2011. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today announced the designation of 41 trails as National Recreation Trails, adding almost 650 miles of trails to the National Trails System. Spanning across 17 states, the land and water trails provide opportunities for communities to connect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors as part of a healthier lifestyle, the core principles behind President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Outside! initiatives.

“From coast to coast, National Recreation Trails help connect Americans with the wonders of America’s Great Outdoors," said Deputy Secretary Hayes. "Today’s new National Recreation Trails, built through partnerships with local communities and stakeholders, provide great opportunities for people to get outside, get active and have fun. The trails establish a strong link in our urban and rural communities alike to a conservation legacy for future generations to build upon."

Today’s announcement took place on the Lake Michigan waterfront where Deputy Secretary Hayes and Senator Durbin designated the new Lake Michigan Water Trail – Chicago to New Buffalo Section, which is the first leg of an ambitious shoreline trail around the entire Lake. The designation of the Lake Michigan Water Trail is part of President Obama’s larger vision, as outlined through the America’s Great Outdoors report, to create connected water trails along America’s waterways with a network of public access points.

“The Lake Michigan Water Trail’s official designation will make it easier for local residents and visitors alike to find and visit Lake Michigan shorelines,” said Senator Durbin. “There’s no better way to take in urban landscapes like the Chicago skyline than from a canoe or a kayak. And as more people have this opportunity to enjoy this wonderful treasure on Chicago’s lakefront, more people will share in our resolve to protect the health of the Great Lakes.”

Today’s announcement comes in advance of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 4, when hundreds of organized activities including hikes, educational programs, bike rides, trail rehabilitation projects, festivals, paddle trips, and trail dedications will take place around the country.

The following 41 trails have been designated as National Recreation Trails. For more information on each trail, please click here.
ALABAMA

Chattahoochee Valley Railroad (CVRR) Trail – Northern Section
Chattahoochee Valley Railroad (CVRR) Trail – Southern Section
Chewacla State Park Trail System
Chief Ladiga Trail (Jacksonville Section)
Chief Ladiga Trail (Piedmont Section)
Citronelle Walking Trail
City of Foley Antique Rose Trail
DeSoto State Park Trail System
Florala-Lake Jackson Scenic Trail
Lake Guntersville State Park Trail System
Lake Lurleen State Park Trail System
The Larry and Ronna Dykes Trail
Montevallo Greenway Trail
Queen City Park Trail
Sunset Drive Trail
Swan Creek Greenway Trail
Talladega-Lincoln Outdoor Park Trails (T.O.P.TRAILS)
Tannehill Tramway Trail
Village Pointe Preserve Park Trail System
Wind Creek State Park Trail System
Yoholo-Micco, The Creek Indian Trail

ARKANSAS

Old Post Mountain Bike Trail
Springhill Park Mountain Bike Trail

CONNECTICUT

Quinebaug River Water Trail – Thompson Section

FLORIDA

Tom Varn Hiking and Jogging Trail
Withlacoochee State Trail

ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MICHIGAN

Lake Michigan National Water Trail – Chicago to New Buffalo Segment

INDIANA

Ray Yellig Memorial Trail

KANSAS

Sand Creek Trail

MARYLAND

Catoctin Trail (Blue Trail)

MASSACHUSETTS

The Waverley Trail

MINNESOTA

Froland Waterfowl Production Area Interpretive Trail

NEW JERSEY

Barclay Farm Trails
Croft Farm Trails

NEW MEXICO

Berg/Animas Trail

OKLAHOMA

Sandtown Nature Trail

PENNSYLVANIA

Blue Marsh Lake Multi-Use Trail
Susquehanna River Water Trail – West Branch

TENNESSEE

Warriors' Path State Park Mountain Bike Trail System

WEST VIRGINIA

McTrail
Ralph S. Larue/West Fork Trail

The National Recreation Trail designation recognizes existing trails and trail systems that link communities to recreational opportunities on public lands and in local parks across the nation. Each of the new National Recreation Trails will receive a certificate of designation, a letter of congratulations from Secretary Salazar, and a set of trail markers. These trails join a network of more than 1,100 previously designated trails that total more than 13,000 miles.

The National Recreation Trail program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with a number of other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the national recreation trails website at http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails.

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http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/...4f5b0ba2cc.html

PORTAGE | The Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, NIPSCO and South Shore Poster Arts Management, Inc. (SSPAM) unveiled "Paddling the Dunes," a new, official South Shore Poster created by regional artist Barbara Spies Labus, Saturday, June 4. The unveiling took place as part of the celebration and dedication of the first 75 miles of the Lake Michigan Water Trail as a National Recreation Trail.

Held at the at Portage Lakeshore and Riverwalk at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the unveiling revealed original artwork depicting two kayakers paddling along the Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan's south shore in vibrant color. The poster was commissioned by the NWI Paddling Association and made possible by a generous grant from NIPSCO.

"We wanted to capture the natural beauty paddlers will experience as they travel our shoreline and commemorate the first significant step in developing the world's longest continuous loop water trail in the world. The poster provides a view of Northwest Indiana from a different perspective [from the lake] inspiring us to improve our region through preserving and protecting our environment," said Dan Plath, President of the NWI Paddling Association.

More than 100 guests, including the participating paddlers and cyclists, received commemorative South Shore Posters sponsored by NIPSCO and the new Lake Michigan Water Trail map.

"We see Dan Plath and the NWI Paddling Association working hard to engage a wide group of stakeholders to ensure the national recognition of the Lake Michigan Water Trail and are pleased to be a an active participant in this effort. Residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the paddling trail for generations to come and remember it through the unique poster art created to celebrate life along the South Shore," said Phil Pack, Vice President of Generation for NIPSCO.

Posters will be available for purchase through the NWI Paddling Association website www.nwipa.org or the South Shore Arts Gallery and website www.southshoreartsonline.org.

For more information, contact Karen Lauerman, Director of Marketing and Communications at 219/763-6303 x181, klauerman@nwiforum.org or visit www.nwiforum.org.

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Here is their official website

http://www.lmwt.org/

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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...c9009714797.txt

New signs donated for Lake Michigan trail

By Amanda Jacobson
Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
New signs along Lake Michigan are pointing its water trail users in the right direction.

The Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Openlands, and ArcelorMittal, a leading steel company, unveiled the new signs Wednesday morning at the Indiana Dunes State Park's main pavilion in Chesterton.

Funding from ArcelorMittal made the new signs possible for the Lake Michigan trail that runs through Michigan City.

Shannon Eason, administrative director for Michigan City Parks and Recreation, said directional signs were placed on either side of Michigan City's lighthouse to direct local water trail users down Trail Creek.

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The first sign is located in Washington Park, the second in Trail Creek Marina, and the third at Sprague Point.

An additional sign depicting Trail Creek amenities, historic facts and a map of the entire Lake Michigan water trail was also given to the Michigan City Parks and Recreation department earlier this week.

The Michigan City Parks and Recreation department incurred no costs upon receiving the signs, Eason said.

“This is just the beginning,” she said. “We plan to keep adding amenities to the trail system.”

The Lake Michigan water trail begins near Chicago and stretches into Michigan. Trail Creek is designated as an available overnight destination for water trail users because of its marina amenities.

For more information about Trail Creek and its new signs, contact the Michigan City Parks and Recreation Department at (219) 873-1506.

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http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/pl...aa457f5624.html

Planners to work on vision for Lake Michigan trail
Associated Press

SAUGATUCK, Mich. (AP) — Government planners from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin are among those meeting next week to work on plans for a proposed 1,640-mile trail network around Lake Michigan.

MLive.com reports (http://bit.ly/Sh8sVS ) the biking, hiking and kayaking route in the four states along the shoreline of Lake Michigan is the topic of the Nov. 8-9 Lake Michigan Trail Conference at Saugatuck Center for the Arts in southwestern Michigan. More than 150 people, including planners, are expected to attend.

States and regional organizations have been independently putting together more shoreline trails in recent years.

The conference is expected to include discussion of an overall vision for the trail, creating water trail partnerships and incorporating existing routes into the trail system.

The event is free. Registration is required to attend.

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Online:

http://www.lmwt.org

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http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/20...st_tourism.html

Howard Meyerson | The Grand Rapids Press
The Lake Michigan water trail is expected to draw kayakers and other paddlers from all over the U.S. Howard Meyerson | MLive.com

MUSKEGON, MI - - A friend and I sat at water’s edge recently watching Lake Michigan waves roll thunderously onto the beach. They ran up the sand with the power of a freight train, pushed by the gale that had blown the beach smooth.

“What would you do if you saw someone out there,” I was asked. The answer was simple. “I’d keep an eye on them, call 911 or Coast Guard,” I replied. “There is nothing I could do when the waves are this high — and the water is this cold — other than get myself in trouble.”

Indeed, that is what would happen. The question struck home. I had just spent two days in Saugatuck at a conference about the Lake Michigan Water Trail. That’s the 1,200 mile route being developed around Lake Michigan — an ambitious four-state project with much to offer paddlers and local communities. The latter are expected to gain from the economic benefits of increased tourism.

Those benefits, by the way, are expected to amplify with the parallel development of a cycling route around Lake Michigan and the revival of the Circle Tour motor route.

The branding implications seemed abundantly clear — a case of “build it and they will come.” Paddlers down south, for instance, who might have heard of Lake Michigan but never thought to visit, would suddenly have reason to consider it.

They might bite off a small piece and paddle or cycle a segment, stay in local motels and/or camp. Or, they might go for the gusto as Mary Catterlin and Amy Lukas did this past summer. The 23-year-old paddlers from Indiana circumnavigated Lake Michigan in an 11-foot dugout canoe. Catterlin had crafted it in her parent’s backyard by hollowing out a log.

Both young women had come to the Saugatuck conference where Gary Mechanic, the administrator for the Lake Michigan Water Trail Association, mentioned two others he knew who had circumnavigated the lake.

The waves in front of us were ominous and threatening. I couldn’t imagine being out there by choice. I was, however, struck by just how far things have come. When I came to Grand Rapids in 1987, there were no kayak dealers in West Michigan. Sea kayaking was relatively unknown here. Paddlesports since have taken off, and water trails now are being developed across the nation. The demand for them has been clear.

Some of those supporters came to Saugatuck. There were paddlers who hope to enjoy the trail, paddling outfitters and guides who hope to make money off it, trail organizations looking to grow, and surrounding state DNR representatives, along with Pure Michigan tourism and national park service officials.

Even Michigan DNR staffers seemed to endorse the concept — a huge change from the past — but time will tell whether their interest is sincere. Michigan officials have been more likely give water trails lip-service, but find reasons not to make any progress. Wisconsin DNR, meanwhile, has proven itself a leader.

“We are taking on the role to establish more water trails,” said Jeff Prey with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Prey said their value, socially and economically, is recognized at the highest levels of state government.

Michigan, on the other hand, has hidden behind alleged “safety and liability” concerns — a specious argument in my estimation. The portrayal of water trails as dangerous is little more than a smokescreen.

That reticence historically came from being unfamiliar with paddling and the lack of a funding for water trail development. The agency focused instead on rail trail development, where demand and money both were readily available.

It also has invested millions in its Harbors of Refuge, a program again with funding, which built harbors every 30 miles so boaters have a safe place to go. Yet boaters continue to make mistakes, and I have yet to hear someone suggest that they not get built because of it.

Risks, after all, are understood to be on the user’s shoulders. It doesn’t matter whether you snowmobile across the Upper Peninsula, boat across Lake Michigan or paddle around it. Paddlers, like boaters, need to make judgment calls any time they go out. There always will be some who lack good judgment.

So, as we watched the waves scour the Lake Michigan shoreline this day, and as flying sand threatened to score my eyeballs, I looked out over the vast, tumultuous expanse of water and was relieved to see not a soul.

Email Howard Meyerson at howardmeyerson@gmail.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter at twitter.com/hmeyerson and at howardmeyerson.com.