The Allegheny Ridge Recreation Association (ARRA) was awarded a $200,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
Funds will be used to study the feasibility of a six-county multi-use trail system, which will focus on motorized recreation. This will be one of the largest studies of its kind to date.
Selected from numerous submissions to the DCNR, ARRA received the grant funding for the study, and will work in cooperation with various state and private agencies.
Yearly, DCNR accepts grant applications via various sources. The award received is funded by the state ATV Reserve Fund that’s funded by registration and fees associated with ATV use.
“This study opens the possibility for a new era of economic development,” said ARRA President Doug Wagner. “Hatfield McCoy accounts for nearly $40 million in tourism monies for W.Va. We have the resources, [so] now we need to build the infrastructure.”
“For years, we had hoped to create a trail system and acquiring this grant from the DCNR gets us one step closer to making it a reality,” stated Project Coordinator David Hayes.
ARRA is an organization focused on developing recreational land use and resources. It has over 1,200 members who participate in various projects from fundraisers to trail cleanups.
The trail system proposed will cover nearly 127 miles reaching from Somerset County northward and looking to connect to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails ATV riding area.