MillionMile Greenway is a major sponsor of the Georgia Trail Summit again in 2016

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Carrollton hosts Georgia Trail Summit in April:

Statewide trail community gathers to keep trails high on Georgia’s agenda

February 2016 – Now in its third year, the Georgia Trail Summit convenes in Carrollton on April 14, 15 and 16. The conference is open to everyone interested in creating a connected trail system across the state.  Tanner Health System is the lead sponsor.

Carrollton was selected as the host city this year because the first 13 miles of its 16-mile Carrollton GreenBelt has emerged as a shining role model in Georgia for getting it right.  Lessons learned by local leaders from Friends of the Carrollton GreenBelt will be offered in several sessions.

Alabama, Tennessee and Florida all have statewide agencies dedicated to trails.  But Georgia does not.  The keynote panel features trail coordinators from three neighboring states invited to share their experience and recommendations.  They will help Georgia jumpstart its own trails clearinghouse to inventory and steward trail projects, and establish an alliance for trail groups statewide.

Georgia trails are increasingly popular in communities large and small.  “Across the state, trails encourage healthy lifestyles; offer inexpensive, clean transportation choices; serve as economic development catalysts for increased tourism, property values and sales tax revenues and enhance quality of life for everyone,” remarks Tracie Sanchez, volunteer chair of the Georgia Trail Summit.

For instance, the Carrollton GreenBelt runs through the University of West Georgia campus and connects a public school to business districts. Tanner Health System is investing $35 million in a new healthcare center adjacent to the trail.

The Summit features 25 presentations from trail professionals in every discipline, and eight mobile workshops will get people outside on nearby water trails, cycling trails, mountain biking trails, parks and the Carrollton GreenBelt.

View the full schedule of the 2016 Georgia Trail Summit.

Early bird registration for the three-day conference is $85 before February 29 and includes several meals.  On March 1, the fee is $100.

The Georgia Trail Summit is organized by a dedicated group of volunteer trailblazers committed to realizing a world-class, connected trail system in every corner of Georgia.

Sponsors include Tanner Health System, MillionMile Greenway, Carrollton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, KAIZEN Collaborative, Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Asheville Trails, Atlanta Trails, Georgia Bikes!, Georgia River Network, Georgia State University School of Public Health, Greenprints Alliance, Little Vine Vineyards and Winery, National Park Service, Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission, PATH Foundation, Perpetual Motion Bicycles, TRED, University West Georgia and more to come.

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To schedule an interview with Georgia Trail Summit chair Tracie Sanchez, local organizers or request high-res photos, contact Lisa Frank, Frank Relations at 404-255-8567 or lisafrank@frankrelations.com

Introducing the Gold Belt Trail: Georgia’s Next Big Thing
(Cartersville, Georgia)

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Biking and walking trails are sprouting up everywhere in Georgia…and the highly-successful Silver Comet Trail is among the most popular.

Now, MillionMile Greenway announces another big trail idea: the Gold Belt Trail, designed to link the Silver Comet to other parts of North Georgia and beyond. MillionMile Greenway assists communities in Georgia and elsewhere to create and expand greenways and trails. Cartersville and Bartow County recently asked MMG to help connect them to the Silver Comet.
The result is an anchor segment of the bold new Gold Belt Trail. The Gold Belt Trail will follow the diagonal corridor across Georgia that geologists call the “Gold Belt” – linking gold mining and other mineral heritage communities with each other in a scenic bicycle and pedestrian trail. Imagine Dallas, Acworth, Cartersville, Canton, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Helen and Clayton as links in a chain of gold nuggets from West Georgia to the mountains of North Carolina – spanning about 200 miles.

“Folks in Bartow County and Cartersville have enjoyed using our community trails for many years,” says Cartersville resident and Gold Belt Trail supporter Tommy Hall. “Now we can connect the Silver Comet to other communities across North Georgia.”
The Gold Belt Trail, unlike the Silver Comet, will not use old railroad beds except for short stretches. Instead, MMG will help each city and county find routes that fit their individual needs and resources. MMG will also provide technical and marketing assistance to communities that want help in implementing the trail. “We know this is a long-term vision. Some communities want to work on their portion immediately while others may take several years to figure out how to participate,” explains Jim Langford, president of MillionMile Greenway. “We’re here to help in any way that makes sense for them.”

Benefits of the Gold Belt Trail
• Conserving land for new parks and connecting them together with trails
• Creating healthy options for recreation in each city and county along the trail
• Increasing tourism and economic development for Gold Belt Trail communities and Georgia as a whole

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