There are three elements that make
the Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Millennium Legacy Trail an effective
vehicle that can add value to the quality of life in Southwestern
PA.
Scope / Comprehensiveness / Grassroots
nature
The 'trail', almost 300 miles in
length, economically connects two large urban 'Trailheads'
via a chain of smaller Legacy Trail communities. Physical
connection consists of river systems that include the Allegheny,
Kiski-Conemaugh ( DCNR River of the Year as a result of its
restoration ), Juniata, and Susquehanna. Thematic connection
is the route of the historic Pennsylvania Mainline Canal.
So, what is The Pennsylvania Millennium
Legacy Trail? It's a conceptual route that follows a section
of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg.
It's not a rail trail connecting the two cities. It's an entity
that is mapping and promoting a system of land trails, water
trails and roadways that will span the route. This will be
overlaid with a system of thematic trails connecting centers
of art, history, culture, entertainment, education, outdoor
and other recreational activities. Think of it as a 'Legacy
Franchise'. The whole adds value, in terms of support and
marketability, to the parts.
To see a clear example of the breadth
of the Millennium 'Trail' concept go over to the National
Millennium Trails Web page. and compare the Appalachian
Trail with the International Express (You'll find this very
interesting). The comprehensive nature of all levels of Millennium
Trails is what gives them their power. Conceptual and thematic
dimensions enable Millennium Tails to effectively be maps
as much as physical entities. Drawing a map is faster and
more cost effective than building a hard asset.
By magnifying the visibility of communities
and the amenities they have to market, Pennsylvania's Legacy
Trail can start increasing revenue as soon as it has an identity.
Resources will be increased for development of more trails,
cultural and shopping districts etc.
The Pennsylvania Mainline Canal system
once forged a vital east-west link across the formidable Allegheny
Mountains. This was a giant step toward addressing the needs
of the era and raising the quality of life in Western Pennsylvania.
The Legacy Trail takes a giant step towards meeting the needs
of our era by linking the efforts of two major urban areas
and two major watershed planning initiatives - the Kiski-Conemaugh
and the Juniata. The impact of the project's scope intensifies
by also linking the efforts of two of Pennsylvania's "Heritage
Areas" or "Heritage Parks" - the "Allegheny Ridge" and the
"Rivers of Steel".
In this sense, the project is a natural
continuation of the watershed stewardship approach on the
one hand, and heritage-based community development efforts
on the other. Both causes have been championed by DCNR through
the Rivers Conservation Program and the Heritage Parks Program,
respectively, and in the new economy it only makes sense that
conservation and economic development should go hand-in-hand.
In fact, this is what must happen.
The urban 'Trailheads' are striving
to develop competitive aesthetic signatures that portray vitality
and multi-faceted attractiveness. The smaller Legacy Trail
communities are striving for economic growth. They were formerly
supported by heavy industry that, while providing necessary
building blocks for our current infrastructure, had a devastating
effect on many of our resources.
The PA Legacy Trail project incorporates
a powerful array of issues, such as: natural resources, recreational
resources, human resources, cultural and historic interpretation,
economic development, arts, and entertainment. These contexts
will provide an inclusive, rich environment that will enable
and encourage individuals and organizations to contribute
directly to a comprehensive effort. An important part of the
developmental strategy is to use local talent to accomplish
significant tasks. People, businesses and organizations who
are building resumes and credibility profiles will be offered
opportunities to show what they have.
Heavy industry was made possible
by a vast supply of human creative energy and a broad range
of individual talents. The goal of the Legacy Trail project
is to "unleash" that energy in a new direction. The outcome
will be a new economic and social profile based on intelligent
interaction among all resources.
The strategy is to create a grassroots
entity, based on the extensive 300 mile scope, which will
be extremely visible in the recreational market and at the
community level.
The method is to organize the urban
'Trailheads' and the smaller Legacy Trail communities into
an efficient force. The 'Legacy Trail Allies', as a unit,
can create a recreational identity that will magnify the marketing
efforts of individual communities.
A series of projects is being developed
that is designed, on the one side, to make the urban 'Trailheads'
aware of existing and potential amenities in the smaller nearby
Legacy Trail communities - amenities that the 'Trailheads'
can promote as part of an expanded recreational identity.
The other side of the design is to make extensive market information
available to local communities, allowing them to make sound
decisions on what amenities to develop and how to promote
them.
One of the trail characteristics
from the on-line application above was: how it brings together
individuals, groups and organizations, both public and private,
in collaborative support of the trail. A key project tool
will be a communications network consisting of Internet, conventional
media, and a liaison system. This network, which we are currently
building, will allow communities to rapidly share information
on ideas and methods. It will also create and maintain a database
of information on local experiences, technical assistance
and funding opportunities, while linking with other existing
resources.
The benefits of the project are not,
by any means, limited to the Mainline Canal Corridor. The
expansive Legacy Trail will be able to highlight offshoots
and connect to other projects across Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The same is true for the Pittsburgh- D.C. trail system. Conceptually
linking these two projects with each other and with partners
in the Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Maryland/Northern Virginia
areas would be a first step toward creating a marketable entity
that would magnify the power of all the partners.
