Recreational Trails Program
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RTP Highlight: The Stage Coach Trail

The Coalition for Recreation Trails (CRT) awarded the 2019 Maintenance and Rehabilitation award to the Vermont ATV Sportsman's Association (VASA) for the Stage Coach Trail Improvement project.

by Taylor Goodrich, Communication and Media Specialist, American Trails

 

The Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) is a federation of national and regional trail-related organizations. Its members work together to build awareness and understanding of the Recreational Trails Program, which returns federal gasoline taxes paid by off-highway recreationists to the states for trail development and maintenance. The CRT hosts an annual awards program, which was established in 1998 and recognizes outstanding uses of Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds, showcasing excellent projects made possible by RTP funding and enhancing awareness and appreciation of the RTP among Members of Congress and other key officials.

Governor Phil Scott of Vermont getting ready to ride the Stage Coach Trail

Governor Phil Scott of Vermont getting ready to ride the Stage Coach Trail

 

In 2019 the Maintenance and Rehabilitation award was given to the Vermont ATV Sportsman's Association (VASA) for Vermont's Stage Coach Trail Improvement project. Not only did VASA earn this award for an outstanding project, this was the first time that this award has ever been given to a motorized recreation group. The State Coach Trail Improvements project took place on the Stage Coach Trail in the town of Woodford, Vermont. The project consisted of a three-way partnership between VASA, the Green Mountain National Forest and the Green Mountain Club to relocate sections of trail and perform maintenance which improves and corrects erosion and improper drainage issues. This project has made the trails safer, more accessible and provides improvements for multiple user groups including both motorized and non-motorized users.

On September 24, 2019 Vermont's Governor Phil Scott and his team made a special visit to experience the Stage Coach Trail for himself. Despite it being an extremely rainy day, Governor Scott and his team joined members of VASA in Bennington to ride this amazing new trail. He was met by volunteers from the Bennington Trail Cruisers, and the Jack Pines Pirates ATV Clubs as well as VASA staff. After his ride, the Governor stated how impressed he was with the trail and the work that VASA and its clubs accomplish. He went on to say the outdoor recreation sets Vermont apart, and that he is working to leverage these assets to bring more working families, visitors and jobs to the state.

About the Author

Taylor Goodrich started with American Trails in January 2018 as Communication and Media Specialist. Taylor has worked with the National Recreation Trail (NRT) Ambassadors since the beginning of the program and has helped shape the program to where it is today. Taylor currently lives in Dallas, Texas, which is also where she grew up and where she attended the University of North Texas receiving her degree in History. While in college she started doing freelance work editing and writing, and also got into graphic design and discovered she loves the creativity and craft of digital arts. After college she traveled quite a bit, and lived in both the Pacific Northwest and in New Mexico, and while in both of those places took full advantage of what the outdoors had to offer. After moving back to Texas she started moving towards doing graphic design, social media, and communications work full time, and she has contracted with several companies from tech startups, to music festivals, to law firms, to grow their social media and digital communications presence. Taylor loves hiking and kayaking especially, and is glad to be working with an organization that fights for further accessibility and stewardship of our nation’s trails. She feels very lucky that in this position she will be able to use her professional skills and passion for something she is also very personally passionate about, and in helping to grow American Trails.

Contact: [email protected]

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