Trails Manual
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YOUR TRAIL DEVELOPING MULTI-USE TRAILS IN IOWA Creating a Trail Vision LEARN HOW TO Fundraising PLAN + CREATE Trails Management During & After TRAILS IN IOWA Construction CREATED BY IOWA NATURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION inhf.org 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation 505 Fifth Ave., Suite 444 4 The Basics Des Moines, Iowa 50309 5 Types of Multi-Use Trails www.inhf.org | 515-288-1846 | [email protected] 6 Creating a Trail Vision Joe McGovern 8 Organizing a Steering Committee President 11 Rail-Trails Andrea Boulton Trails and Greenways Director 13 Non-Rail-Trails 14 Purchase Methods This guide’s purpose is to create an overview 15 Fundraising of the considerations and processes that 20 Designing a Trail individuals or committees can use to plan and create multi-use trails in Iowa. The guide 22 Trail Management makes broad strokes on best practices that 24 Marketing Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) has 25 Community Engagemtnt learned over the last four decades of working with volunteers as well as local and county 26 Reference Info governments in the creation of trails. Did You Know? INHF was a driving force behind Iowa’s famous High Trestle Trail. Through extensive fundraising and community collaboration, INHF helped to establish one of the world’s largest trail bridges (length and height), earning awards in construction, lighting and art through the landmark bridge rising 13 stories above the Des Moines River. INHF served as the catalyst and led the effort to acquire the corridor, bring the communities together, guide fundraising, and select the engineers to create a world famous trail. Protecting and restoring Iowa’s land, water and wildlife. Photo by Nathan Houck 2 YOUR TRAIL: Developing Multi-Use Trails in Iowa INTRODUCTION Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) This guide aims to help local trail advocates was established in 1979 as a statewide nonprofit become familiar with the trail creation process. It conservation organization that works with private offers information and advice at an introductory landowners and public agencies to protect and level for people familiarizing themselves with trail restore Iowa’s land, water and wildlife. creation, while also offering insight from INHF’s decades of experience. The guide is organized in Since the early 1980s, Iowa Natural Heritage a way to allow readers to refer to phase-oriented Foundation has actively helped communities and information throughout the process. As always counties create multi-use trails throughout the INHF is happy to serve as a resource throughout state with a focus on transforming discontinued the process and assist where able. rail corridors. To date, INHF has helped create over 65 percent of Iowa’s rail-trails. Photo by Nathan Houck inhf.org 3 THE BASICS WHY ARE TRAILS IMPORTANT? Trails create space for people, wildlife, Trails are great for education, land preservation, public health, local business diversification and community Recreation Walk, jog, bike, stroll, walk the dog or view engagement. Running through city centers, wildlife suburbs and rural communities, trails showcase nature what Iowa has to offer. Rail-trails hold a Watch, listen or photograph wildlife along the corridor, learn about native plants connection to Iowa’s cultural history and serve transportation as a reminder of the rail-based roots of so many Walk to the grocery store or park, bike to a Iowa communities. Throughout the state, friend’s or to work converted rail-trails continue to keep small towns health Get out in an area dedicated to people moving alive by revitalizing and connecting them to at their own pace through-traffic and tourism opportunities. business Enjoy a cold beverage, sandwich or ice cream Trails provide an excellent opportunity cone after a long ride for communities to promote themselves and connect to nearby towns. They also offer healthy, sustainable recreation opportunities and alternative transportation options. 4 YOUR TRAIL: Developing Multi-Use Trails in Iowa TYPES OF MULTI-USE system keeps portions of America’s rail network TRAILS intact, enables trail organizers to purchase land at an often reduced rate, and gives rail roads the Any trail open to more than one kind of user opportunity to buy back their route at fair market (eg. runners, walkers, cyclists, inline skaters, value should they have use for it in the future. etc.) can be referred to as a multi-use trail. The distinctions in this guide, rail-trail as compared NON-RAIL-TRAILS to non-rail-trail, refer to how the trail is created. The popularity of rail-trails has sparked demand for trails in many communities. However, a discontinued rail corridor is not RAIL-TRAIL always available. In that case, local leaders and A rail-trail is a former rail line that has been trail advocates can work to establish alternative converted into a multi-use trail. In 1915 at the corridors in their area. It’s possible to acquire height of railroad development in Iowa, there an appropriately sized property all at once, but were more than 10,000 miles of track. Today, most often these trails have to be pieced together less than half remain active and less than 15% bit by bit. Non-rail-trails add an extra layer of have become rail-trails. Rail corridors make complexity to the process and require detailed ideal trails because they were designed as a route planning. However, they are vital links in transportation network, resulting in subtle the overall system ensuring connectivity and gradients, solid foundations and community accessibility for as many Iowans as possible. connections. Additionally, corridors generally span one-hundred feet in width while the track itself occupies about 10-feet width, conveniently preserving natural scenery on both sides. Rail lines created the settlement patterns of Iowa, connecting populations to commerce and trade. This made rail lines a focal point when organizing the city. In an effort to protect rail networks, the National Trail System Act was amended in 1983 to include a process called railbanking that preserves discontinued rail corridors and allows them to be converted into multi-use trails. This inhf.org 5 CREATING A TRAIL VISION ORGANIZE AND MOBILIZE THE CREATING A COMMUNITY It is easier to see a trail come to fruition when TRAIL VISION numerous people are involved. Organizing a team and identifying specific roles will make a IDENTIFY A GOAL big difference in maintaining motivation and Identifying the motivations for creating a distributing efforts efficiently and effectively. This trail is an important first step that will set the section discusses how to organize team members tone for the entire project. For some projects, a and communicate with the public. discontinued rail corridor might be the catalyst for a trail. Others might gain momentum in FINDING TRAIL PARTNERS response to local demand. Perhaps a nearby Having support from local, pre-organized community is already working on a trail and groups can create momentum behind a trail wants to connect through another community. project, especially if they are willing to assist with The initial motivations for establishing a trail planning, organizing, fundraising and publicity. may be many, but it is instrumental to identify Local health advocates might want to get involved the intent of the trail at the onset to create a clear to spur healthier, more active lifestyles. Perhaps and effective plan going forward, including key parents, teachers and school administrators are community partners. Each trail will have its own interested in expanding opportunities for field story: find what inspires the community. trips and local learning initiatives. Different groups, different motivations, same goal. 6 YOUR TRAIL: Developing Multi-Use Trails in Iowa Potential partners include: define the goals of the trail, determine how it ■ Chamber/Economic Development serves the community’s needs and galvanize more ■ City Parks/Recreation community members to engage with the project. ■ County Conservation Board (CCB) Broad-based support increases the overall chance ■ County Engineers of the trail becoming more than just an idea. ■ City Administration ■ Business Owners ■ Bike Clubs ■ Walking groups ■ Schools CONSIDERATIONS Questions to consider Consider what kinds of users the trail might ☐ Who will use the trail? accommodate. Will it primarily be a recreational ☐ Who might support the trail? trail, commuter route or combination of the two? ☐ How can they be involved? Brainstorm potential users, invite them to be ☐ Who is responsible for coordinating efforts part of the project and provide feedback about across groups? what they want from a trail. Doing so will help inhf.org 7 Photo by Marlen Kemmet ORGANIZING A STEERING COMMITTEE The key to a successful project is to have can coordinate more effectively and give people a involvement from non-profits, public agencies singular point of contact. When only one person and local volunteers, including representation (or small group) is answering questions, it’s easier from each town the trail passes through. Think to share unified and consistent information. of them as a three-legged stool where each leg is The next step is determining how this steering vital to the balance and success of the stool. committee will operate and make decisions. Create a central team of trail champions who 8 YOUR TRAIL: Developing Multi-Use Trails in Iowa Things to consider include frequency of meetings, A note: voting processes, public input and individual When all is said and done, someone will need tasks. Making individual members responsible for to be responsible for the ongoing ownership and specific tasks helps ensure long-term engagement maintenance of the trail, often a local agency. while also optimizing everyone’s efforts. Whether or not that agency is in possession and Some tasks will be better accomplished with control from the beginning, the agency should have a a dedicated subcommittee while others may representative involved in the steering committee for be better handled by an individual.