The Chemung Basin River Trail: Your Trip to the Ocean Starts at Your Back Door A presentation to the Headwaters River Trail July 1, 2010 Jennifer Fais, Chemung Basin River Trail Partnership Co-chair and Friends Board member The Chemung Basin River Trail Partnership

A voluntary association of citizens, groups and water resource agencies formed in August 1999 created to improve access to the rivers in the Chemung River Basin for people of all walks-of-life while promoting the protection of the watershed through stewardship and public education. A regular meeting of the Partnership….

Chemung Basin River Trail Partners to 2007 (signed Memo of Understanding or letter of commitment)

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes Ducks Unlimited Carantouan Greenway Chesapeake Bay Gateways and River Trails Network Chemung County Cooperative Extension Chemung Co. Environmental Management Council Chemung County Farm Bureau Chemung County Historical Society Chemung Co. Soil & Water Con. District Chemung County Sportsmen’s Federation Chemung County Water Quality Coordinating Committee City of Elmira Elmira Water Board Chemung Basin River Trail Partners to 2007 (signed Memo of Understanding or letter of commitment) City of Corning New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Private Landowners and Citizens Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau Steuben Co. Environmental Management Council Steuben County Historical Society Steuben County Water Quality Coordinating Committee Steuben County Solid Waste Management Sullivan Trail Resource Conservation and Development Council Susquehanna River Basin Commission Tanglewood Nature Center Three Rivers Development, Inc. How we got started… • Participation in the Susquehanna Sojourn in 1997 launching from Norwich • Hosted the Susquehanna Sojourn in 1998 - launched from Corning. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay staff explained “Water Trails.” • Went on the Sojourn: Susquehanna River Trail near Harrisburg in June 1999 • NYSDEC staff, Bill Abraham, had vision of cooperation. Bill starts his retirement from DEC in March 2003, but continues as the River Trail Coordinator. We met the Gateways Network… • Went to the first Chesapeake Bay Gateways Initiative grants workshop Feb. 2000 •Goal #1: “Place-based interpretation of the Bay”: the story of the “arks” Goal #2: “Physical access to the Bay”: existing and potential river access sites Goal #3: “Fostering Conservation of the Bay”: Debris removal, river clean- ups

River clean up as part of the First Annual River Float We received funding…

• “Chemung Basin River Trail: Trail Guides” • Inkind: – construction of two boat launch sites: Tollbridge Park and Bottcher’s Landing for $42,283 – River clean up totaling 150 pounds of waste • Received $6250 to produce 2000 copies of the Trail Guide Tollbridge Park ramp under construction

The Chemung Basin River Trail =====> Chemung Basin River Trail Steuben & Chemung Counties, New York (excerpt from www.gateways.net website) Brief Description: The Chemung Basin River Trail explores 38 miles along the Chemung River, a major tributary of the Susquehanna River. Located in New York, this water trail lets you paddle a kayak or canoe from Corning to the Pennsylvania state line on water that eventually flows into the Chesapeake Bay. A series of existing and developing public launch sites provide easy access to the river, and a new water trail map and guide is now available for distribution. Paddle part of the same route that early 19th century settlers used for transporting goods down stream all the way to Havre de Grace, Maryland! We receive more Gateways $$$

• July 1, 2001 – June 30, 2002 (ext. to 12/03) • “Interpreting the Route – Kiosks” • Sixteen 32” X 32” museum-quality panels to be placed in multi-purpose kiosks • Inkind: $94,934 in boat launch construction, and design input to Kiosks • $30,000 grant for kiosk layout/fabrication Dunn Field, Elmira just after completion Work begins on the Conhocton Street site, Corning

CHEMUNG BASIN RIVER TRAIL PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS…….Community Watershed Map

The Chemung Watershed: A Portrait of this Place, a Community Watershed Map, which is an artistic rendition of the watershed created by a cross section of people in the basin, will be used on posters, place mats, etc., as an educational and promotional tool. The Portrait is currently on each of the interpretive panels.

CHEMUNG BASIN RIVER TRAIL PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS…….Kiosks 16 Kiosks were built to:

hold the panels display DEC boat launch rules dispense “Carry In / Carry Out” bags

with stream clean up funds from the Chemung and Steuben County Water Quality Coordinating Committees Jim Hall, kiosk designer, shows off the prototype at the Second Annual Float. People at Toll Bridge Park read the newly installed finished kiosk. “Carry In- Carry Out” bags are also posted on the kiosks to provide long term litter disposal on the River. People will take the bags with them to dispose of their refuse after their trip to the River. We receive one more Gateways grant in 2003….

• “Five New Boat Launches” – Rotary Park, Canisteo – Tuscarora Creek site, Addison – Route 21, Rathbone – Wood Road, Campbell – Route 11, Bath • Inkind: $78,885 from towns, NYSDEC, NYS Senator • Grant: $29,940 Wood Road site under construction in 2003 - 2004

The Route 11 Site on the Cohocton in Bath is built in 2004 - 2005 The Village of Addison site is built in 2003 - 2005 The Town of Rathbone site is completed in 2005 CHEMUNG BASIN RIVER TRAIL PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS…….River Float

June June2, 2007 2, 2007was thewas date the fordate the forEighth the Eighth Annual Annual Chemung Chemung River Float.RiverWe hadFloat. a greatWe hadtime a enjoying great time the enjoying Cohocton the River Cohocton and learning River aboutand watershed learning stewardship. about watershed stewardship. CHEMUNG BASIN RIVER TRAIL PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS…….City of Elmira Visioning Process

21 community meetings with more than 300 people in 2003 – 2004 suggested: Greater access to the River Beautification Projects Planned riverside trail system Riverfront Business District Pedestrian Bridge with mixed uses Downtown/River Festivals CHEMUNG RIVER GREENBELT IS DESIGNATED AS A PRIORITY PROJECT IN THE 2006 NYS OPEN SPACE PLAN CHEMUNG BASIN RIVER TRAIL PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS…….Two New Launch Sites Underway

NYSDEC pledges to complete the Route 427 Site at Exit 59

Casella Waste Management donates $13,000 to construct White Wagon Access Site And more funding…

• 2005-06 Local Waterfront Revitalization Program with the Town of Big Flats -$10,000 ($10,000 local match) • 2006 NYS Quality Communities Grant -$41,000 ($4620 match) • 2006 – 07 LWRP grant with City of Elmira - $52,800 ($52,800 match) Creation of a River Council River Council Municipalities: City of Elmira Town of Ashland Town of Big Flats Town of Chemung Town of Elmira Town of Southport Village of Wellsburg Development of a Comprehensive River Plan February 2008 Projects with concept designs and cost estimates Time line for development “Shovel Ready” stage – full design ENVISIONED EXPANSION OF RIVER COUNCIL TO REST OF THE WATERSHED • Obtain additional funding • Work with NYSDEC and NYS OPRHP to create state-of-the-art Water Trail Map • Implement all recommendations in the NYS Open Space Plan Chemung Valley Greenway Project Won’t you join our effort?