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Governor Bob Taft

NEWS RELEASE

TAFT ANNOUNCES CLEAN OHIO TRAILS FUND GRANTS
$6.25 Million Will Improve and Expand Community Trails

List of grant recipients

AKRON (September 18, 2002) — Standing along the historic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, Governor Bob Taft today announced $6.25 million in Clean Ohio Trails Fund grants to 24 Ohio communities to improve and expand the state’s recreational trail system.

The awards represent one-quarter of a total $25 million in grants for recreational trails to be funded over the next four years through the Clean Ohio Program, initiated by Governor Taft and approved by voters in November 2000. Each grant requires a minimum 25-percent match with local funds.

“I am among the many Ohioans who enjoy biking or hiking these trails to take in the beauty of our state,” Governor Taft said. “These Clean Ohio Trails Fund grants will assist trail partnerships throughout the state – each building an important local project that will help us complete our vision for an interconnected statewide network of trails.”

Clean Ohio Trails Grants are designed to increase opportunities for outdoor recreation, including more trails linking existing parks with historic and cultural sites and other public facilities.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) received 79 applications for this first round of grants, requesting a total of $24.5 million. Applications were competitively ranked based on a broad range of criteria established by the Clean Ohio Trails Fund Advisory Board.

Proposals not funded this year can be automatically refiled or amended by applicants for the second round of Clean Ohio Trails Grants. The deadline for new or refiled applications in the next round of funding is February 1, 2003.

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Contact: Jim Lynch, ODNR, (614) 265-6886;
Joe Andrews, Governor’s Office, at (614) 644-0957.

CLEAN OHIO TRAILS FUND GRANTS
September 18, 2002
Ashtabula Ashtabula County Parks District $120,000 Western Reserve Greenway Construct three sections (totaling approximately 7.7 miles) of a bike path in Austinburg, Morgan, Rome and Orwell townships.
Athens City of Athens $160,000 East State Street Bike path Construct 9,400 linear feet of trail and acquire 2,200 linear feet of right-of-way to extend the East State Street Bikeway.
Butler Butler County Engineer's Office $275,000 Port Union-Gilmore Ponds Historic Canal Trail Construct approximately 1.55 miles of paved bicycle and pedestrian pathways in West Chester.
Champaign/Clark Champaign County Commissioners $450,000 Simon Kenton Trail Construct 6.23 miles of trail along a railroad right-of-way from Critter Court (in Springfield) to Woodburn Road in Champaign County.
Clark City of Springfield $215,000 Buck Creek Scenic Trail Construct 3,900 linear feet of trail connecting the existing terminus of the Buck Creek Trail through Old Reid Park to Croft Road, including rehabilitation of the Pumphouse Road bridge.
Coshocton Coshocton City & County Park District $265,000 Ohio to Erie Trail - Panhandle Route Construct a seven-mile portion of the Ohio to Erie Trail, Panhandle Route, that will connect Coshocton with the Village of West Lafayette.
Cuyahoga Cleveland Metroparks $310,000 Cleveland's East-Side Towpath Connector Construct a 1.1 mile, ten-foot wide asphalt towpath trail connector parallel to the Ohio & Erie Scenic Byway (East 49th Street, Washington Park Blvd).
Darke City of Greenville $180,000 Greenville Creek Trail Construct 5,200 linear feet of paved trail along Greenville Creek from Alice Bish Park to Greenville City Park.
Franklin City of Columbus, Recreation & Parks Department $420,000 Alum Creek Trail Construct a 2.5-mile trail along Alum Creek connecting Casto Park and the Easton Soccer Complex.
Fulton City of Wauseon $200,000 Wabash Cannonball Trail Construct 4,000 linear feet of trail on the abandoned rail line from Glenwood Street to County Road 13.
Greene Greene County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Arts $420,000 Jamestown Connector Replace nine bridges along the Jamestown Connector right-of-way.
Guernsey Community Development Corporation of Guernsey $20,000 The Great Guernsey Trail Acquire approximately 19 acres of abandoned railroad land and easements in Cambridge.
Hamilton City of Cincinnati $230,000 Ohio River Trail - Corbin to Stanley Construct a 5,100 linear foot bike/hike trail from Corbin Street to the intersection of Stanley and Kellogg Avenues.
Holmes Holmes County Rails to Trail Coalition $410,000 Holmes County Trail Construct a 10.1 mile paved trail and adjacent 10.1 mile crushed limestone trail for a combined bicycle/pedestrian and horse drawn buggy trail from Millersburg to Fredericksburg.
Lucas Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area $65,000 Fallen Timbers All Purpose Trail Pave a 2,300-foot section of an abandoned road linking Fallen Timbers Monument and a planned pedestrian bridge across U.S. Route 24 to Fallen Timbers Battlefield and the Wabash Cannonball Trail.
Medina City of Medina $330,000 Roscoe Ewing Multipurpose Trail Construct 1.4 miles of 10 feet wide multipurpose trail that will connect Roscoe Ewing and Jaycees Parks.
Meigs Village of Pomeroy $130,000 Riverfront Pedestrian Walkway Construct a six-foot wide, 7,500-foot walkway from the village amphitheater to Waterworks Park.
Miami City of Piqua $350,000 Linear Park Trail Construct a ten-foot wide, 4.5-mile asphalt path on the Miami & Erie towpath and Miami Conservancy District property to complete a 13-mile loop and connection to the Johnston Farm.
Montgomery Five Rivers MetroParks $215,000 Wesleyan Connector Trail Construct a 1,650 foot trail and 185-foot bridge that will connect Wesleyan Metropark to "Adventure Central" and the McGee Bikeway.
Portage Portage Park District $250,000 Franklin Connector Trail Construct a 1.4 mile, ten-foot wide asphalt multi-purpose trail on former railroad right-of-way, including refurbishing a trestle bridge and installing a tunnel underneath a road.
Ross City of Chillicothe, Parks & Recreation Department $350,000 Chillicothe Pedestrian Bikeway Corridor Acquire and develop approximately 7,500 linear feet of a pedestrian/bikeway trail in Chillicothe to connect local trail systems.
Summit City of Akron $500,000 Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Cascade Locks Extend existing Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through historic Cascade Locks connecting downtown Akron.
Tuscarawas Camp Tuscazoar Foundation, Inc. $125,000 Zoarville Station Bridge Restoration of the Zoarville Station Bridge.
Wyandot City of Upper Sandusky $260,000 Tarhe Recreational Trail Construct 3.8 miles of paved trail that would connect the Sandusky River Bikeway and Reservoir Park.
TOTAL CLEAN OHIO TRAILS GRANTS $6,250,000
For further information about the Clean Ohio Trails Grants program, contact:
Jane Beathard, Ohio Department of Natural Resources - (614) 265-6860
or visit the ODNR Web Site at ohiodnr.com
For detailed information about a specific trail project, contact the grant recipient.