The Allegheny Ridge Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation charged with developing, interpreting and restoring the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Allegheny Ridge State Heritage Park in Blair, Cambria, Somerset and Huntingdon Counties. The Allegheny Ridge Corp. submitted the application for the Millennium Legacy Trail designation and is the organization leading its development.

It all started as a committee of local trail groups who wanted to link their various projects into a regional network. Dave Sewak ( DCNR* Circuit Rider ) , Jane Sheffield and John Turner (Allegheny Ridge Corp.) had been working on trails in Cambria County, especially the Mainline/Path of the Flood Trail. The Allegheny Ridge Heritage Coalition, a grassroots alliance of 18 municipalities in support of the trail was created. Al Chace of DCNR was one of the idea-men behind the cooperation which led to an extended trail effort.

From this start, the following stew of considerations/steps led to where we are today:

• The Allegheny Ridge Corporation and the National Park Service are both interested in interpreting the story of the Mainline Canal.
• The trail vision was growing in scope, but a land-trail from Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg didn't seem feasible.
• Dave Sewak and John Turner had been working with watershed organizations, the Kiski-Conemaugh River Basin Alliance and the Juniata Clean Water Partnership, and all were interested in blurring the lines between recreation, historical interpretation, conservation, habitat protection, and community involvement.
• The Millennium Trail opportunity came along and a last minute decision to apply was made.