Mad River Valley Planning District director Joshua Schwartz said that
the kickoff event was intended to enhance networking and facilitate a
discussion about the group's vision for the existing trails and
resources in The Valley.
"I wanted to make sure that the work we're doing is collaborative and
connected; being in the same room together is the first step," he said.
Likely the next step, according to Schwartz, would be to form a smaller
steering committee that would meet more frequently to identify potential
projects and funding sources and create a list of goals for existing
trails.
MRVPD steering committee member and Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce
board member Jim Halavonich said that he would "like to see a group
formed out of this group so that [Schwartz] can at some point exit out
as leader."
The group also discussed the potential for a collaborative trail map
effort across several organizations represented at the meeting,
including the Catamount Trail Association, VAST and the Mad River Path
Association.
"From the chamber side, I'd like the ability to sell The Valley's
walking, skiing and biking paths as something we can be handing out to
them to enhance their experience and entice them to return," Halavonich
said.
Chamber director Susan Klein also identified the need for what she
called a "more cohesive resource that we could then use to promote
through madrivervalley.com."
"I'd like to see an overlay-type map," she continued.
Organization representatives listed specific goals they'd like to see
discussed as a result of the event. Friends of the Mad River watershed
coordinator Caitrin Noel said she would like to "look at the
sustainability of trails; river access is important to the Friends. From
the Warren Conservation Commission, we'd like more trail mapping to be
available to people so they can enjoy our trails."
Fayston Zoning Administrator Patti Greene-Swift said that she would like
to see town forest land included on trail maps: "The idea is to share
that with the larger community, so they could pick up a path map that
identified that in certain areas you are going to see certain things."
In review, Schwartz said that the goals of the steering committee would
be mapping and taking inventory of "what is here" with a fuller picture
of the trail network, as well as integrate and coordinate the different
efforts, join forces but "make sure not to reinvent the wheel."
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