How to Build a Paddle Trail In Your Community 2006

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How to Build a Paddle Trail In Your Community2006
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Project Background

• Darrell McBane
• N.C. State Trails Coordinator

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NC State Trails Program

• Created in 1973 by NC Trails System Act
• Section of NC Division of Parks Recreation
• Working to plan and develop a statewide system of
  trails
• Enables communities to develop trails, preserve
  land, and manage trails

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NC State Trails Program

• State Trails Coordinator
• Three Regional Trails Specialists
• Mountains
• Piedmont
• Coast
• Provide guidance on planning, developing and
  managing trails

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NC State Trails Program

• Greenways
• Blueways
• Hiking
• Biking
• Horse
• Off-road Vehicle
• And other trails

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NC State Trails Program

• Provides technical assistance
• Provides grant opportunities
• Adopt A-Trail
• Recreational Trails Program Grants
• Develops successful partnerships with local
  conservation and recreation advocates

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Recreational Trails Program

• Created with the passage of the Transportation
  Efficiency Act
• Provides 50 million annually to all states for
  trail and greenway funding
• NC share of funds has averaged 1.2 million since
  1996

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2005 Series Background

• In 2004, the N.C. Paddle Trails Association
  received a grant from the N.C. State Trails
  Program to offer information on paddle trail
  development.
• N.C. Cooperative Extension Service partnered with
  the N.C. Paddle Trails Association to develop the
  "How To Build A Paddle Trail In Your Community"
  videoconference series.

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2005 Series Background

• The six session videoconference series aired in
  the spring of 2005 and had over 100 attendees.
• The videoconference series was so successful N.C.
  State Trails provided funding for an expanded
  series set to air in the spring of 2006.

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Series Overview

• Carol Kline
• Extension Tourism

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Evaluations from 2005 Series

• Over 100 participants
• People from 38 counties
• On Likert-type scale from 1-5, with 1 being Low
  and 5 being High
• Average Participant knowledge rated 1.94 prior to
  series
• Average participant knowledge rated 3.25 on after
  series
• Overall satisfaction with series rated 3.2

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Evaluations from 2005 Series

• The majority of participants were interested in
  learning how to develop water trails in their
  area.
• Positive comments focused on the specifics of the
  training, especially the legal issues.
• The negative comments were largely based around
  technical difficulties and background noise.

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Community Consensus Building Meetings Purpose

• To obtain information on issues paddling groups
  were facing across the state
• To develop pertinent educational information for
  the 2006 series
• To start to build buy in and unified voice among
  paddling community

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Community Consensus Building Meetings Process

• 7 Meetings - 7 CE Districts
• Formal facilitation by trained NC CES personnel
• Affinity Diagram Exercise
• What issues surround the development of paddle
  trails in North Carolina?

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Community Consensus Building Meetings Results

• Over 400 unique issues were recorded
• Issues were recorded and combined with input from
  email and listserv comments
• Report from the meetings is being compiled
• Report will be posted to website

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Listserv Description

• The purpose of the listserv is to facilitate
  discussion surrounding paddle trail development
  in North Carolina.
• To subscribe to the paddle trails listservSend
  an email message to 'mj2_at_lists.ncsu.edu' and in
  the body of the message putsubscribe
  paddletrails

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Survey Description

• Survey Monkey
• Four separate parts to the survey
• Demographic data is asked on each survey
• Demographic data is anonymous

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Survey Description

• Determine the access points used in each
  geographic area
• Describe which types of paddlers are using each
  site
• Provide potential funders with user data

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2006 Series Outline

• Session IJanuary 25thBackgroundSeries
  OverviewRegional Trail Development(Macro-Level)

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2006 Series Outline

• Session IIFebruary 22ndRegional Trail
  Development(Micro-Level)

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2006 Series Outline

• Session IIIMarch 22ndLegal Liability Issues

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2006 Series Outline

• Session IVApril 24th Site Construction

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2006 Series Outline

• Session VMay 26thOperation, Funding
  Maintenance

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2006 Series Outline

• Session VIJune 28th Tourism Marketing Trail
  Evaluation

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2006 Desired Outcomes

• Standards for Trail Development Access Sites
• Consensus among paddlers in North Carolina
• Ranking of desired access points across the state
  
• Listing of concerns regarding paddle trail
  development in N.C.
• Funding for paddle trail development, access, and
  maintenance

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Why do we need paddle trails?
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Paddlesports Trends

• According to the proceedings from the Safe
  Boating Council
• A huge number of Americans participate annually
  in paddlesports, and this involvement increases
  every year.
• Kayaking is the fastest growing segment of the
  entire boating community with a growth rate of
  272 over the past nine years.

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Paddlesports Trends

• The National Survey of Recreation and the
  Environment (NSRE) found that, during 2003,
  millions of Americans went paddling
• 19.6 million paddled canoes
• 9.6 million paddled kayaks
• 22.6 million went rafting.

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Paddlesports Trends

• Paddlesports has strong participation from a
  variety of demographic groups. For example, women
  make up nearly 50 of paddlesport participants.
• Minorities are also well represented.
• Furthermore, both of these groups participation
  is increasing.

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Reasons to develop safe trails

• From calendar year 1996 through 2002, 574
  fatalities associated with canoes and kayaks were
  reported to the U.S. Coast Guard.
• Among the 558 paddling fatalities for which type
  of vessel is known,
• 72 were associated with canoes
• 28 were associated with kayaks.

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Reasons to develop safe trails

• Capsize fatalities appear to be as likely to be
  found on calm water as on choppy, rough, or very
  rough water.

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Why is Extension Involved?

• Extension is the outreach branch of the land
  grant universities
• Our mission is to communicate university
  researched-based knowledge with the community
• Rural and community development is one of our
  four mandated initiatives
• We are uniquely poised with a presence in all NC
  counties and the Cherokee Reservation

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Trail development models

• HandMade in America
• HomegrownHandmade.com
• Civil War Trails
• NC Birding Trail

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Trail Development Model

• Participation criteria lead to standards which
  satisfies user expectations
• Chimney Rock (micro)
• NCDA Agritourism Office (macro)
• Handholding/ community action/ critical mass/
  advocacy

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What is a paddle trail?
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What is a paddle trail?

• State Trails will be working throughout the
  course of this series to develop a standardized
  paddle trail design which fits the needs and
  specifications of N.C. paddlers.
• Your input is critical in this process
• The following slides describe specifics which
  will be incorporated into the NC State Trails
  definition.

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Who designates a paddle trail?

• While many entities and organization can claim a
  paddle trail, only NC DENR can endorse a paddle
  trail as part of the NC State Trails Program.

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NC State Trails Endorsement

• As a statewide organization responsible to the
  various taxpayer and user interests, NC State
  Trails Program is moving toward a standardization
  of the trail systems in NC.

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NC State Trails Endorsement Benefits

• Priority for grant funding
• Priority for Adopt-A-Trail funding for the
  printing of informational brochures
• Priority for the development of maps on the
  DPR/State Trails website
• Use of the DPR State Trails logo on brochures and
  promotional information

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ACA-Recommended Water Trail Criteria

• The trail is a contiguous or semi-contiguous
  waterway or series of waterways that is open to
  recreational use by paddlers
• The trail has public access points for paddlers
• The trail is covered by a map, guide, signage or
  a web site that is of reasonable quality and
  detail and available to the public.

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ACA-Recommended Water Trail Criteria

• Published or printed materials for the trail
  (e.g. guidebook, map, signs, website) communicate
  low-impact ethics to trail users
• The trail is supported and/or managed by one or
  more organizations.
• ACA-Recommended Water Trails earn the right to
  use a special ACA logo in maps, signs and other
  printed material related to the trail. The ACA
  expands this list by designating new trails a few
  times each year.

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Canoe Kayak Magazine Recommendations

• Research the project thoroughly
• Come up with themes to hang the trail idea on
• Brainstorm a list of potential partners

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Canoe Kayak Magazine Recommendations

• Seek with funding sources
• Work to enlist the support of property owners
• Get the commitment of volunteer time and labor
• Excerpted from Canoe and Kayak Magazine, March
  2000

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Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox

• Provide access points at fairly frequent
  intervals
• 5 miles for rivers
• Provide adequate parking to meet demand.
• Hand carry launches should be hardened as well as
  boat ramps.
• Boat slides do well where banks are steep.

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Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox

• Have information kiosks and brochures at each
  access which
• orient users to the trail
• contain a map describing public use areas
• sanitation stations
• emergency telephone numbers and locations of
  telephones
• camp sites
• rules and regulations.

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Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox

• A leave no trace philosophy of use should be
  advocated in the literature and on information
  kiosks.
• Camp sites should be hardened in heavy use areas.
  
• Most campsites should not be accessible to
  vehicles except for administrative access.
• Riparian areas should be protected and maintained
  as functioning buffers.

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Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox

• A no open camp fire policy should be enforced.
• Public lands should be clearly identified from
  the river.
• Mile markers should be posted along the river and
  tied to the map in the brochure.

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Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox

• Prohibitions against trespass on private land
  should be clearly stated in informational
  literature.
• Some group camping areas should be developed for
  scouts and other group use.
• Provide sanitation facilities at public access
  points and periodically along trail. (Every 5
  Miles)

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USFS Trail Standards

• HEALTH AND CLEANLINESS
• Visitors are not exposed to human waste along
  trails
• The trail and trailside are free of litter.
• The trail and trailside are free of graffiti.

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USFS Trail Standards

• Effects from trail use do not conflict with
  environmental laws (such as ESA, NHPA, Clean
  Water, TES, etc)
• Resource management adjacent to and along the
  trail corridor is consistent with Recreation
  Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) objectives and desired
  conditions of the adjacent management area(s)

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USFS Trail Standards

• Trail opportunities, trail development, and trail
  management are consistent with Recreation
  Management System (ROS, SMS, BBM) objectives and
  the Forest Land Management Plan.
• The trail, use of the trail, and trail
  maintenance methods do not cause unacceptable
  damage to other resources.

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USFS Trail Standards

• Trail use does not exceed established trail
  capacity.
• Hazards do not exist on or along the trail.
• Laws, regulations, and special orders are
  enforced.
• When signed as accessible, trails meet current
  agency policy and accessibility guidelines.

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USFS Trail Standards

• Information is posted in a user-friendly and
  professional manner.
• Visitors are provided opportunities to
  communicate expectations and satisfaction.
• The trail and its structures are serviceable and
  in good repair throughout the designed service
  life.

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USFS Trail Standards

• Trails in disrepair due to lack of scheduled
  maintenance, or in non-compliance with safety
  codes (e.g. life safety, OSHA, environmental,
  etc.) or other regulatory requirements (ABA/ADA,
  etc.), or beyond the designed service life, are
  repaired, rehabilitated, replaced, or
  decommissioned.

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USFS Trail Standards

• New, altered, or expanded trails meet Forest
  Service design standards and are consistent with
  Forest Plan prescriptions.

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USFS Trail Matrix
Trail Attributes Trail Class 1 Minimal/Undeveloped Trail Trail Class 2 Simple/Minor Development Trail Trail Class 3 Developed/Improved Trail Trail Class 4 Highly Developed Trail Trail Class 5 Fully Developed Trail Trail Class 5 Fully Developed Trail
Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria Additional Criteria for Water Trails Apply in addition to Trail Class General Criteria
Water Trails For Portage sections of Water Trails, see General Criteria above. Note Many facilities and features described in this row are commonly associated with hiking/portage trails, Concentrated Use Areas or Developed Sites (as compared to the Water Trail itself), and are described here primarily for guidance in applying appropriate Trail Class. Designated water route, shown on maps and used to access other trails or portages, but with no trail structures, facilities, signs, or recurring maintenance needs along the route. Maintenance consists of occasional patrols and resource protection. Signs and/or parking facilities at initial access points only, and likely associated with other trails or sites. In densely vegetated areas, users will commonly need to lift vessel over logs, shoals, or matted vegetation. Very few markers or route designators, and likely none in wilderness. Low profile structures or facilities occasionally present primarily to reduce beach and bank impacts. Structures typically consist of native material hardening of portage/water entry points. Signs or parking facilities at initial access point only, and may be associated with another trail or site. On water trails where dense vegetation and obstructions occur, path is typically narrow, shallow, and may occasionally require user to lift over obstacles or break path through some vegetation and duck under overhanging branches. Buoys or markers possible to identify route Typically, facilities on motorized or non-wilderness trails to provide improved access and to reduce beach and bank impacts. Well-developed parking and launch facilities at primary access points, but facilities and structures rare along trail. Interpretive and informational displays typically present at primary access points. On water trails where dense vegetation and obstructions occur (swamps), path is typically cleared wide enough for ready passage and maneuvering of at least one vessel, and usually two-way vessel passage, with only occasional low overhanging vegetation. Buoys or markers are high profile and may be inter-visible and/or route is readily followed. Highly developed launch facilities, docks, and amenities typically provided for user convenience. Well-marked approaches to facilities and portages Interpretive displays, maps, information kiosks and signs typically present at access points and along route. On water trails where dense vegetation and obstructions occur (swamps), path is consistently cleared wide enough for unhindered, easy passage of two or more vessels. Buoys or markers are high profile and may be inter-visible and/or route is readily followed. Highly developed launch facilities, docks, and amenities typically provided for user convenience. Well-marked approaches to facilities and portages Interpretive displays, maps, information kiosks and signs typically present at access points and along route. On water trails where dense vegetation and obstructions occur (swamps), path is consistently cleared wide enough for unhindered, easy passage of two or more vessels. Not managed for watercraft as primary use type.
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Where have trails been developed?

• Ohio Water Trails
• Maine Island Trails
• Chicago Water Trails
• Potomac River Trail

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Where have paddle trails been developed in N.C.?

• Existing maps
• American Canoe Association lists
• Paul Fergusons Paddling Eastern NC

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Need for Standards

• While there are paddle trails all over the
  state, none meet the minimum criteria necessary
  to be endorsed by American Canoe Association

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Who needs to be at the table?
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Getting people to the table State Agencies

• NC State Trails
• NC Government
• Wildlife Resources Commission
• NCDOT
• US Corps of Engineers

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Getting people to the table Regional

• NC State Trails
• Regional Trail Specialists
• Local Government
• Wildlife Resources Commission
• District Officers
• NCDOT
• Regional Contacts
• Council of Government Contacts

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Getting people to the table Local

• County Parks and Recreation Personnel
• All Local Government Branches
• Wildlife Resources Commission Officers
• NCDOT Regional Contacts
• City and County Planners
• NC Cooperative Extension County Directors

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Why do they need to be involved?
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Getting people to the table Why

• Confirm jurisdiction/resolve issues
• Facilitate land acquisition
• Help with impediments
• Policy Issues
• Permitting/Zoning Issues
• Structural Issues
• Bridge designs
• Dams
• Access to low use sites

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Getting people to the table Why

• Environmental Issues
• Urban Encroachment (sprawl)
• Impact on Wildlife
• Minimizing User Group Conflict

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Potomac Trail

• Good examples of agencies working together
• Also shows how damn many are agencies are
  affected by the trail

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Illinois Open Lands Project Intergovernmental
Checklist

• 1. Identify each agency that is a contracting
  party, e.g., a State, county or city, town or
  other public or municipal agency.
• 2. Place into the agreement, the exact statutory
  references under which each contracting party is
  empowered or authorized to exercise the powers
  contemplated.
• 3. State the duration.
• 4. State the purpose or purposes to be
  accomplished.
• 5. State the manner of financing the undertaking
  and, where applicable, state the manner of
  establishing and maintaining a budget for the
  project.

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Illinois Open Lands Project Intergovernmental
Checklist

• 6. State the method and means of partial or
  complete termination.
• 7. Where property is to be acquired solely for
  the accomplishment of the purpose or purposes of
  the agreement, provide a means or method for
  disposing of such property upon the termination
  or completion of the agreement.
• 8. Provide in the agreement that it will be filed
  with the local government recorder?s office.
  State that the agreement will not become
  effective until after it has been filed.
• 9. Provide in the agreement terms for
  cancellation.

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Illinois Open Lands Project Intergovernmental
Checklist

• 10. State that the parties agree to comply with
  all applicable state and federal laws, rules,
  regulations regarding equal opportunity,
  nondiscrimination and affirmative action.
• 11. State that in the event of a dispute under
  the agreement, the parties agree to use
  arbitration.
• 12. Provide that the parties agree to retain all
  books, accounts, reports, files and other records
  relating to the agreement and to make such
  records available at all reasonable times for
  inspection and audit during the term of and for a
  period of 5 years after the completion of the
  agreement.

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Illinois Open Lands Project Intergovernmental
Checklist

• 13. Include with any agreement, authenticated
  copies of each "appropriate action by ordinance,
  resolution or otherwise" of the governing bodies
  authorizing the future execution (signing)
  thereof.
• 14. After the governing bodies or their agents
  have made a favorable determination, the parties
  should then execute the agreement and file it
  with the appropriate recording office.

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Sample Resolution

• Enforceable Legal Document
• Defines areas of responsibility
• Names partner organizations
• We will be developing a similar template for use
  in N.C.

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Micro/Macro Interplay

• Things have to be in place at the micro level in
  order to develop critical mass to affect change
  at the macro level
• Macro level policy needs to reflect and support
  micro level issues and activities

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It takes a village

• Before we can open Trail sites on private land
  in New York, changes need to be made to the
  states landowner liability law so that private
  landowners are afforded greater protection for
  sharing their property for a water trail. Lake
  Champlain Committee

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Education/ Interpretation

• Also needs to be regional
• USFS Interpretation Standards
• Interpretation educates the user and protects the
  resource
• Paddlers conflicting with other users
  (researchers) / maps need to be developed to show
  where paddlers can and cant go

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You Must Develop a Regional Management Plan

• Get Organized
• Get the all the right people to the table
• Mind your Manners (no i in team)
• Management Plan Template will be provided in
  Session V

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Evaluation

• Logs
• Blogs
• Survey/ feedback

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Speaker Contact Information

• Darrell McBane
• 919-715-8699
• darrell.mcbane_at_ncmail.net
• NC State Trails Coordinator
• NC State Trails Program
• NC Division of Parks Recreation
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Mail Service Center 1615
• Raleigh, NC 27699-1615

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Speaker Contact Information

• Carol Kline
• 919-306-1705
• carolkline_at_bellsouth.net
• Parks, Recreation Tourism Management
• Campus Box 8004- Biltmore Hall
• North Carolina State University
• Raleigh, North Carolina 27695

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References
ACAhttp//www.acanet.org/recreation/watertrails.lasso Pocosin Presshttp//www.pocosinpress.com/
Chicago Water Trailhttp//gorp.away.com/gorp/location/il/pad_chic.htm Potomac Water Trailhttp//www.potomactrail.org/inventory/segments/water.html
Lake Champlain Committee http//www.lakechamplaincommittee.org/lake/paddlers.html River Toolshttp//www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/state/NC
Maine Island Trail Associationhttp//www.mita.org/about.html Safe Boating Council 2004 Proceedingshttp//www.safeboatingcouncil.org/summit/2004_Proceedings.pdf
Open Lands Projecthttp//www.openlands.org/watertrails.asp?pgid197 USFS Interpretation Standardshttp//www.fs.fed.us/r3/measures/Stan/Stan_IS.htm
Ohio Water Trailshttp//www.ohiodnr.com/watertrails/ Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolboxhttp//www.dcr.virginia.gov/prr/docs/toolbox.pdf