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Lessons Learned on the Haw River Trail

Lessons Learned on the Haw River Trail. Turning Trail Plans into Trails. Outline. The Haw River The Economic Lifeline of Alamance County. 1700’s-1930’s The Haw River was the Economic/Cultural Lifeline of Orange/Alamance County Source of Food/Water/Power .

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Lessons Learned on the Haw River Trail

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  1. Lessons Learned on the Haw River Trail Turning Trail Plans into Trails

  2. Outline

  3. The Haw RiverThe Economic Lifeline of Alamance County • 1700’s-1930’s The Haw River was the Economic/Cultural Lifeline of Orange/Alamance County • Source of Food/Water/Power

  4. The Haw RiverDevelopment and Destruction • 1850-1980s – The Haw River became a Major Hub of the United States Textile Industry. • 8 Major Mills on the River • The Bleaching and Dyeing Processes made the Haw River Synonymous with Pollution Cone Mills- once the world leader in corduroy production

  5. After the Mill Is Gone • 1980-2000s- The Textile Industry Headed for Greener Pastures. • The Haw began to Fade from Community’s Consciousness • Left Behind Opportunity in Riparian Areas Textile Pollution on the Yangtze River

  6. The Big Idea Return the Haw River to the Cultural and Economic Center of Our Community While Restoring and Protecting the River • Provide Safe, Legal Access to the Haw Through Haw River Trail/Mountains to Sea Trail and the Haw River Paddle Trail. • Improve Community Attitudes Towards the River Through Increased Exposure. • Preserve a Scenic Corridor for the Trail Through Conservation of a 500 Foot Buffer. • Create a Sustainable Economic Engine that brings dollars from outside Alamance County into the local economy.

  7. The Action Plan • Establish Trail/Conservation Plan • Establish Basin-Wide Partnership • Build a Paddle Trail • Build A Land Trail • Build A Market • Take Advantage of our Proximity to Triangle, Triad • Draw on the Haw’s Historical Richness

  8. Initial Progress 2006-2013Paddle Trail Alamance County Alone • Grown from 4 “Formal” Paddle Accesses to 13 • Trail is now 30 Miles with and 4 Dam Portages • Working to Become the First State-Designated Paddle Trail in North Carolina.

  9. Initial Progress 2006-2013Land Trail Alamance County Only: • Added 11 Miles of Land Trail • Sustainable Pace of 2 Miles per Year. • 3 New Parks of 15 Acres or More

  10. Initial Progress 2006-2013Conservation Efforts • River-wide: • 1,400 Acres Conserved • Alamance County • 320 Acres Conserved • 30,000 linear ft. on Haw River Conserved • 15,000 linear ft. on Perennial Streams Conserved

  11. Initial Progress 2006-2013Economic Benefits • 7 New “River Focused” Businesses Have Opened Since 2006 • $1.5 million in Grant FundsExpended in Alamance County • $300,000 in Property Donationsto Local Governments • 120,000-150,000 Visitors per year Yee-Haw! River Paddle brings paddlers from across the State to the theHaw River each May.

  12. Turning Plans into Trails

  13. Phases of Trailbuilding

  14. Initial Steps • Determine What Person/Agency will be responsible for each phase of Trailbuilding • Establish willing holders of trail and conservation easements in each jurisdiction • If Support is there - Consider memorializing obligations in a Memorandum of Understanding -establishes initial buy-in and organizational legitimacy

  15. Second Steps • Limit the Scope of the Effort - Define in advance whether the “organization” will engage in education, advocacy, economic impact, broader conservation efforts - If possible, identify partners who will handle those issues you can not • Establish a Trail Identity/Brand -Public support is a pre-requisite for success and it must be built -Focus on the unique characteristics of your Trail

  16. Distinguish Between Community vs. Personal Processes • Critical to maintain clear separation between Project Planning Phase and Acquisition Phase • Project Planning is a Community Process • Which Communities Would Benefit from the Trail? • What Points of Interest Should the Trail Connect? • Trail Acquisition is Distinctly Personal Process • What activities a landowner wants to allow on their private property is not an appropriate topic for the public domain

  17. Community vs. Personal Processes

  18. Community vs. Personal Processes

  19. Finding the Funding

  20. Planning for Fundraising Plan Funding Separately for 3 Goals: • Acquisition • Development • Maintenance and Patrol

  21. Acquisition Funding Percentage of Funding by Source: • State Grants – 60% • Parks and Recreation Trust Fund • Clean Water Management Trust Fund • Water Resources Development Grant • Donations – 35% • Federal Grants- 5% • Local Budget Funds – 0%

  22. Development Funding Percentage of Funding by Source : • Federal Grants- 60% • Recreational Trails Program Grants • Local Budget Funds – 20% • State Grants– 10% • DOT Funding • Water Resources Development Grants • Donations – 10%

  23. Photos of Trail Users

  24. Photos of Trail Users

  25. Photos of Trail Users

  26. Photos of Trail Users

  27. Photos of Trail Users

  28. Photos of Trail Users

  29. Photos of Trail Users

  30. Photos of Trail Users

  31. Contact Information Brian Baker Haw River Trail Partnership -www.thehaw.org brian.baker@alamance-nc.com 336-229-2229

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