At the forefront of trail development
At the forefront of trail development
The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail was named Project of the Year for Michigan by the Mid-American Trails & Greenways Conference. The regional group, covering Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, met in Kalamazoo in October for their bi-annual conference.
“This award validates all the hard work by many partners,” said Toni Thompson, president of the Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, who accepted the award. “This shows an appreciation in our state for what we have done to develop a trail that is connecting all citizens regionally. We are very proud that this speaks so well for Kalamazoo.”
The award, a metal sculpture designed by Kalamazoo artist Holly Fisher and forged locally at The Smart Shop, was given to recognize the labor-intensive tasks undertaken and challenges overcome to develop trail and greenway projects. The award was presented to further recognize that trails are all interconnected, creating a tremendous asset for transportation, recreation, health, and community.
2 Comments
Is there any thought to bring the trail north from D ave to Plainwell?
The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is a Kalamazoo County Park and is therefore confined to Kalamazoo County. In designing the trail route, we are hopeful that it will someday link to new and existing trails in other counties such as Allegan County and further north to Kent County.