Recreation and Open Space
Created as an opportunity to interpret the historic Pennsylvania
Main Line Canal, the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway™
has become an example of effective open space and recreation planning
that has created an influx of tourist into the Allegheny Ridge Heritage
Area. This Greenway system, designated Pennsylvania's Millennium Legacy
Trail, addresses heritage preservation, recreational opportunities,
environmental stewardship and economic revitalization and provides
a unique opportunity for visitors and residents to move through the
Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area and its various education and entertainment
venues.
The Greenway is comprised of individual initiatives that together
create a multi-disciplinary visitation experience augmented by a developing
recreation system. This trail and open space network was created through
the diligent work of Greenway partners who, with guidance from the
Allegheny Ridge Corporation, have worked together to link existing
trails with the goal to complete 320-mile long, 2-mile wide land-
and water-based recreation network. Throughout this network are 11
Greenway "hubs," project regions highlighted as possessing
unique opportunities reflecting the Greenway's four project goals.
Focusing on events in these select communities allows for better marketing
and outreach efforts. The Allegheny Ridge Corporation utilizes the
event of these communities as a further conduit for tourist attraction
and user enjoyment.
Trail organizations throughout the Greenway have sponsored many of
the community events in Greenway hubs that provide opportunities to
engage and inform residents and visitors. Events including Saltsburg
Canal Days and Johnstown Folk Fest seek to interpret the heritage
of the area, and provide further opportunities for education. These
heritage-based events have evolved into community reunions that further
provide a link to the town's history for current residents. Environmental
organizations throughout the area have also successfully hosted events,
including Westsylvania Outdoor Heritage and the Juniata Watershed
Summit, that provide environmental education opportunities for children
and adults. Two of the most significant environmental education and
entertainment programs are the Kiski-Conemaugh and Juniata River sojourns.
These multi-day events supply over 200 residents and tourist annually
an occasion to paddle waterways in the Greenway while learning about
the environment and heritage of the area. Like other events, sojourns
are viable opportunities to reunite new and old sojourners as well
as reuniting paddlers with their environment. Participants learn about
local history and current river conservation projects while joining
in a variety of daily programs ranging from presentations on local
history, watershed science, art and culture, to campfire sing-a-longs
and folk music performances. The activities compliment the Greenway
presentations that have been provided at numerous conferences and
other special events throughout the corridor at the request of local
organizations and community government.
Linking these community events are the land and water trails throughout
the Greenway. Individual organizations work with other groups to develop
connection strategies toward the goal of a continuous trail network.
The completed system will not only create hiking, biking, horseback
riding, and other recreation opportunities, but also key connections
to community downtown areas and heritage interpretation sites. Interpretive
signage standards are being developed by the Allegheny Ridge Corporation
to further encourage these connections and to give the visitor an
enjoyable, consistent experience that allows him/her to more fully
understand the significance of the Allegheny Ridge's rich transportation
heritage.
The economic implications of this strategy are far-reaching and lay
the groundwork for community development through heritage and recreation
tourism. Greenway hub communities have already witnessed an influx
of tourists and business, due to their vision and continued dedication
to the Greenway project. As trails are extended and connected to other
projects, tourists are faced with greater opportunities and are more
likely to take advantage of bed and breakfasts, restaurants, recreation
outfitters, and other community-based businesses. Many communities
have also seen positive economic outcomes for residents, including
alternative transportation options and easier access to business,
interpretive sites, and natural resources.
Through its interpretation of these heritage opportunities in consort
with recreation development, the Greenway has become an integral component
of the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area. The Greenway has incorporated
the five Heritage Parks Program goals into the planning and early
implementation process. This commitment to economic development, partnerships,
cultural conservation, recreation and open space, and education and
interpretation has resulted in a successful multi-disciplinary approach
to community development.
The partnership goal has been met through an extensive network of
partners and an effective outreach strategy. These partnerships provide
the opportunity to address cultural conservation and recreation and
open space through grassroots decision-making in each Greenway community.
Individuals and organizations, with guidance from ARCorp, identify
sites for interpretation and development that are then promoted as
important Greenway features. These identified sites provide numerous
prospects for education and interpretation, including trail-related
environmental education projects, historical tours, and interpretive
signage. As these projects are promoted, the Greenway offers an opportunity
for economic development as tourism-related businesses move in to
Greenway hubs. These projects also create community pride and opportunities,
which in turn transform these regions into more desirable locations
for homes and businesses, further stimulating local economies.
This successful multi-faceted effort has provided an excellent opportunity
to promote the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, showing the Greenway
as a component of the heritage system. Through public outreach efforts,
new audiences have been introduced to the heritage area concept and
the various opportunities available to them throughout Pennsylvania.
Local residents have been exposed to the goals of the Plan for the
Allegheny Ridge and are introduced to how the majority of these goals
have come to fruition.
One such component of the Plan for the Allegheny Ridge is urban beautification
and open space projects. The Greenway has a tremendous impact on both
community open space planning and the urban environment throughout
the 320-mile corridor. The Greenway will wind its way through community
centers, resulting in an enhanced and accessible commercial climate.
The Greenway will connect existing streetscape improvements to a larger
system and improve funding opportunities for communities seeking to
improve downtown infrastructure. The Greenway provides a rallying
cry to local Main Street Programs, which consistently strive to improve
their communities' social and economic condition through access to
recreation. Strategically placed interpretation will serve to "connect"
these rural communities and further establish a sense of place.
County open space planning will be heavily influenced through the
development of the Greenway. The Greenway will be identified in each
county's open space plan, encouraging the development of spurs into
neighborhoods, parks, and other potential connections. In turn, this
will enhance open space planning by providing a major corridor with
connection potential across 320 miles. The Greenway's proximity to
watersheds will further promote the protection of the Commonwealth's
natural resources. Access will be constructed utilizing methods to
enhance riparian buffers and eliminate invasive species.
The aforementioned components of the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline
Canal Greenway™ are consistent with the Commonwealth's greenway
concept as it relates to state heritage parks. The Greenway serves
as a focal point for the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, connecting
key heritage and recreation components to provide a marketable system
attractive to tourist and residents. However, the Greenway also extends
beyond the current boundaries of the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area,
allowing the concept of the region to be spread further and create
more tourist opportunities through the envisioned recreation network.
The 2000 designation as Pennsylvania's Millennium Legacy Trail, as
well as the enormous support of community partners, is a testimony
to the importance of the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway™
as a component of the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area. The continued
dedication of communities and partners provides evidence to the significance
of this project as a tool for education and entertainment through
a recreation and conservation system.
©
2005 Allegheney Ridge Corporation
