MORGANTOWN — It started in Morgantown in 2017.
After a near-miss with similar legislation in 2018, Senate Bill 317 was signed into law in 2019.
Spearheaded by FEOH Realty founder Jason Donahue and championed in Charleston by Delegate Joe Statler, the law allows three or more counties to come together to create a trail network for non-motorized use.
More specifically, it created the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority.
There’s been some progress since 2019.
First, the authority now represents interests in 15 counties: Wood, Ritchie, Doddridge, Lewis, Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor, Barbour, Upshur, Randolph, Tucker, Grant and Mineral.
Environmental Development Consulting Firm Downstream Strategies, which was recently admitted into the Professional TrailBuilders Association, was brought on board to provide technical guidance.
Friends of Cheat, out of Preston County, also became a central player, securing a $1.2 million federal grant and expanding the non-motorized trail concept to include waterways.
Susan Riddle is the president and CEO of Visit Mountaineer Country CVB. She’s also Monongalia County’s representative, and treasurer, of the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority.
“We’re deeply invested in this here. We’re a great location for this, and frankly, I wanted to get involved with it because I really feel like it’s going to be one of the largest items to impact our tourism industry in north-central West Virginia in decades when it finally comes to fruition,” she said.
According to information provided by Riddle, the MTRA hopes to launch the 15-county network of tourism-focused destinations for bikes and boats in 2024.
Right now, the body is focusing on developing a brand — think Hatfield-McCoy Trails — and working with Downstream Strategies on a county-by-county trail inventory.
Monongalia County is home to 163 miles of trails, including 26 miles of the Upper Monongahela River Water Trail. Other locations highlighted by Downstream Strategies include Coopers Rock State Forest, Mason-Dixon Historical Park, White Park, Westover City Park, the Mon River and Deckers Creek rail-trails and the Bakers Ridge/West Run biking trails.
The group is also looking for money from the various counties. Riddle said the ask is at least $5,000, which is what the Preston County Commission approved in March.
That, she said, will primarily be used in the hiring of an executive director.
“The Hatfield-McCoy Trail, 30 years into it, they generate millions and millions of dollars in economic impact. North-central West Virginia is in a much different position because we have infrastructure that they didn’t really have when the Hatfield-McCoy Trail was started,” Riddle said, later adding, “I’m excited. This is really big stuff. This is people working together to make big things happen.”
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