Local Heritage Preservation Group Presents Initiatives at National Conference
November 8, 2002

Orlando, FL--Allegheny Ridge Corporation's (ARCorp) Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway and Project Ridge RIDER are featured model projects presented during the 16th National Trails Symposium, "Greenway & Trails -Crossing the American Landscape" in Orlando, Florida.

Dan Pryor highlights the strides made in forming a multi-faceted alliance across many distinctive regions and landscapes as experienced on Pennsylvania's Millennium Legacy Trail, the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway. Pryor is the project coordinator.

Adam Mattis, project coordinator, hopes Ridge RIDER will inspire other states to explore out of the box solutions to the motorized recreation debate while reiterating the importance of environmental protection and economic development in any recreation project.

The selection committee of the National Trails Symposium approached ARCorp, who presented at the 2000 Symposium in Reading, California, to submit a request for proposal for participation. On behalf of ARCorp, Pryor and Mattis successfully submitted dissertations on each project.

"The National Trail Symposium is the premier event to highlight the great efforts of the Mainline Canal Greenway and Pennsylvania's statewide efforts toward a connected system of greenways and trails," said Pryor, who touts ARCorp's partnerships, funding strategies, and program development that has been implemented to lead this grass-roots effort.

"Not only will this promote the Mainline Canal Greenway, but also the evolution of Pennsylvania in supporting recreational amenities, heritage development, economic revitalization and environmental stewardship," Pryor said.
Mattis said both projects will benefit from contacts made at the national event.

"This is a great opportunity to reach land managers, recreation specialists and consultants working to expand recreational opportunities nation wide and send the message that motorized recreation can be done with minimal environmental impact and be considered an asset rather than nuisance to the community," said Mattis. "A personal goal is for the concept to spread throughout Appalachia to aid in the remediation of the bituminous coal fields while sparking the economy of struggling coal patch towns."

The Greenway concept has grown out of a number of locally managed trail and greenway projects along the land and river based route. It includes trails, river access points, interpretation of historical sites, links with downtown revitalization, and strategic conservation/riparian buffer zones along the corridor once traversed by the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal System.

Project Ridge RIDER couples two concerns-environmental reclamation and responsible motorized trail development. This combined approach supports abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation while improving a region's recreational resources by transforming strategically chosen AML into motorized recreation areas. Ridge RIDER purports to rehabilitate a barren landscape for the enjoyment of the recreating public while mitigating environmental problems.

The National Trails Symposium biennially presents a cutting-edge program that features speakers from around the country and around the world who share state-of-the-art trail information, technologies, trends, and new initiatives while hosting in excess of 1,000 of the most influential trails movers and shakers.

Allegheny Ridge Corporation was created to manage the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, which was designated by the Commonwealth in 1992, in a cooperative program involving all levels of government and the private sector.
The Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area contains a multitude of historic, cultural, recreational, natural and scenic resources of state and national significance that collectively exemplify the industrial heritage of Pennsylvania. The Heritage Parks Program involves building and strengthening regional coalitions of community leaders, non-profit interest groups, the private sector, state agencies and the federal government.

Allegheny Ridge Corporation is private non-profit organization whose mission is to develop, interpret and restore the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area in central/western Pennsylvania.
For more information on the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, Allegheny Ridge Corporation, the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway or Project Ridge RIDER visit www.alleghenyridge.org.

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CONTACT:
Claudia Pequignot
814-940-1922