By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
The Highlands Trail Foundation is seeking funding assistance from local government entities to meet a $50,000 grant match. The $250,000 grant is slated to fund improvements and maintenance along the Allegheny Highlands Trail in Tucker County, according to Jon Bush of the Highlands Trail Foundation. “We are currently seeking funds for a grant, we have a $250,000 that we have applied for and so now they accepted it and now we have to come up with a $50,000 match,” Bush said.
According to Bush, the Foundation is seeking to raise half of the $50,000 grant match. The Foundation, itself, will supply $25,000 to the grant match fund. “The Highland Trail Foundation is putting in $25,000,” Bush said.
Bush said that the Convention and Visitors Bureau has already committed $5,000 towards the grant match. “We have got a letter of intent from the CVB, over two budget periods they will be providing $2,500 per budget period for a total of $5,000,” Bush said. “So they are putting $5,000 towards that.”
Bush said that his organization is in talks with the Tucker County Commission, City of Parsons and Randolph County CVB, among others. “We are talking to the County Commission,” Bush said. “Obviously we are talking to the Randolph County CVB, as well.”
According to Bush, the Randolph County Commission had tentatively donated $2,500 pending word on Tucker County donations. “We did get $2,500 from the County Commission of Randolph County, who is waiting to see what Tucker does,” Bush said.
Bush said that under a current state grant, the trail is being repaved from Moore Station Road to Kohler Street in Parsons. “Currently, we had a previous grant that was done through the state,” Bush said. “Of which $280,000 has already been apportioned…to repave from Moore Station Road to Kohler Street in Parsons. This is all a Tucker County win.”
Bush said that the organization is also in the midst of replacing barrier posts along the trail. These news barriers, according to Bush, are a new Department of Highways specification, but also greatly benefit bicyclists on the trail. “They are a shorter barrier post that you can ride over the top of and not hit your handlebars” Bush said. “Its a new spec item that DOH wants, that allows them to get to do maintenance on the trail.”
Bush outlined some of the projects that are being completed due to the Corridor H project. According to Bush, biking clubs from the Elkins and Randolph County area in conjunction with the US Department of Forestry are improving several long standing mountain bike trails. The improvements, according to Bush will include trail heads with signs, among other improvements. “There’s a lot of big things happening with the trail as a result of Corridor H,” Bush said.
Another large project connected to the Corridor H project, according to Bush, will be the construction of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge near the new bridge construction in Tucker County. “When you come across Shingle Tree, there is going to be a bridge similar to the one in Highland Park in Elkins, only much larger, that will cross the new highway for walking, biking and runners,” Bush said. “So that’s going to be a really great improvement. That is happening on this side of things, just down from the new bridge.”
Bush said that the stretch of the Allegheny Highlands Trail from Parsons headed towards Elkins is one of, if not the most, utilized of the trail. According to Bush, it is credited to the overhanging trees and shade the trail section provides, as well as the maintenance the area receives.
The City of Parsons agreed at their June 18th meeting to supply a letter of intent for a yet to be determined amount. The Tucker County Commission tabled the issue for 30 days, pending the results of further funding requests by the Foundation.
