Funds Needed to Designate Allegheny River as a Pennsylvania
Water Trail
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
8 October 2015
By Brad Pedersen
Armstrong County officials are turning to communities along the
Allegheny River for money needed to designate the river as a
Pennsylvania Water Trail.
Officials are asking each of the 21 communities that border the
river to contribute $250 toward the final $3,000 needed to reach
the $21,000 goal to start working toward the state designation,
said Kevin Andrews, director of the Armstrong County Tourist
Bureau.
“We're getting very close to our mark, so we're hoping these
donations will give us that final boost by the end of the year,”
Andrews said. “We know not every community will be able to
contribute the full amount, but we're hoping they will contribute
something.”
The designation aims to bolster the region's economy through
promotion of regional businesses and attractions along the rivers
with maps and other information through the Fish and Boat
Commission.
Andrews has fielded calls from several communities asking about
the designation, but so far, the bureau has gotten only two
donations: $250 from West Kittanning Council and $100 from the
East Brady Area Development Council.
“Any extra money we end up collecting will go toward making more
maps and printing some waterproof maps,” Andrews said.
The project has received $18,000 toward the project. It includes
$5,000 in Marcellus Shale Legacy funding from the Armstrong County
Commissioners, $5,000 from the Armstrong County Tourist Bureau,
$2,000 from the Clarion County Commissioners, and $1,000 from the
Baker Family Charitable Fund through Community Foundation Serving
the Heart of Western Pennsylvania and a pledge of $5,000 in staff
work from the tourist bureau and county planning and Geographic
Information Systems departments.
The money will be used to form a county-wide steering committee
and conduct a feasibility study and develop a regional map of
river access points, along with nearby restaurants, businesses and
other amenities. Once the work is done, it must be approved by the
Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the map will be published
in electronic and paper formats.
Andrews hopes to collect enough money by the end of the year so
officials can begin working toward getting the designation and
maps in place by next summer.
“The Water Trail designation will raise the visibility of the
businesses and attractions along the river in Armstrong County,”
Andrews said. “We're hoping it might bring more people into the
area that might not have come here otherwise.”
West Kittanning council made a pledge Monday night, which
Councilman Cliff Neal said he believes is an investment in the
entire region.
“When the trail is developed, especially through Ford City and
Kittanning, it will benefit all of West Kittanning because people
will stop, stay and eat here,” Neal said. “The river towns,
themselves, will benefit the most but, really, this is a good
thing for all of Armstrong County.”
Brad Pedersen is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be
reached at 724-543-1303, ext. 1337, or bpedersen@tribweb.com.
Read more: http://triblive.com/news/armstrong/9225923-74/river-county-andrews#ixzz3oF2tOQFW