jafrost
04-01-2009, 10:47
It has been 25 years since a new National Scenic Trail has been designated in America. That has now changed.
Yesterday, President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Bill passed last week by Congress. The bill includes the prestigious designation of the Arizona Trail as a National Scenic Trail. In addition to the Arizona Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail and New England Trail joined an exclusive group of eight existing National Scenic Trails.
Traversing the state for more than 800 miles, the Arizona Trail route begins at the state’s southern border with Mexico and ends at the northern border with Utah. It links deserts, mountains, canyons, communities and people.
Construction on 95% of the Arizona Trail has been completed. Volunteers and agency partners are working diligently to build the last 40 miles, filling in the few remaining gaps in the trail’s statewide continuous pathway.
The vision of a Flagstaff fifth grade school teacher named Dale Shewalter, the trail building began in 1985 in northern Arizona. (It) winds its way through some of the state’s most scenic, wild backcountry, luring adventurers into the remote regions that have drawn photographers from around the world to capture images of the state’s diverse topography and ecosystems.
The Arizona Trail Association was formed in 1994 to take on the leadership required to build, maintain, promote, protect and sustain the trail statewide. For more information about the Arizona Trail, go to www.aztrail.org (http://www.aztrail.org/).
(Excerpted from ATA Email)
--Jack Frost
Yesterday, President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Bill passed last week by Congress. The bill includes the prestigious designation of the Arizona Trail as a National Scenic Trail. In addition to the Arizona Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail and New England Trail joined an exclusive group of eight existing National Scenic Trails.
Traversing the state for more than 800 miles, the Arizona Trail route begins at the state’s southern border with Mexico and ends at the northern border with Utah. It links deserts, mountains, canyons, communities and people.
Construction on 95% of the Arizona Trail has been completed. Volunteers and agency partners are working diligently to build the last 40 miles, filling in the few remaining gaps in the trail’s statewide continuous pathway.
The vision of a Flagstaff fifth grade school teacher named Dale Shewalter, the trail building began in 1985 in northern Arizona. (It) winds its way through some of the state’s most scenic, wild backcountry, luring adventurers into the remote regions that have drawn photographers from around the world to capture images of the state’s diverse topography and ecosystems.
The Arizona Trail Association was formed in 1994 to take on the leadership required to build, maintain, promote, protect and sustain the trail statewide. For more information about the Arizona Trail, go to www.aztrail.org (http://www.aztrail.org/).
(Excerpted from ATA Email)
--Jack Frost