The Triple Divide Trail System: Building an Eco-Tourism Corridor as a Strategy for River Conservation William Hart, President Genesee River Wilds, Belmont, NY in collaboration with Allen Kerkeslager, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia 2017 Genesee River Wilds, Inc.
Genesee River Wilds: Watershed conservation coalition begun in 2008 targeting "Genesee River Wilds," defined as upper Genesee River from southern boundary of Letchworth State Park in NY to Genesee River's sources in PA. Mission: To restore, protect, and enjoy the upper Genesee River by combining conservation, outdoor recreation, and sustainable business. Approach: Recreation is not an add-on to conservation. Starting with access to Genesee River's beauty entices people to protect it with more and wider forested buffers like these...
Genesee River Wilds, Inc.
Triple Divide Trail System An eco-tourism, recreation, and conservation corridor that will connect 247 mi. of existing parks, trails, and open spaces from Lake Ontario in Rochester to the Susquehanna River in Williamsport via the Genesee River, triple continental divide, and Pine Creek. Includes: (1) Blueways (water trails for canoes & kayaks) (2) Multi-use trails (bike-hike-etc.) (3) Nature parks (including twin canyons of Letchworth State Park and Pine Creek Gorge) (4) Forested riparian buffers (300 ft. by main stem where feasible, 100 ft. by major tributaries).
Genesee River, to Lake Ontario & Gulf of St. Lawrence Allegheny River, to Mississippi River & Gulf of Mexico Susquehanna River (West Branch & Pine Creek), to Chesapeake Bay
System links Genesee Valley Greenway (rail-trail), Letchworth St. Park., WAG Trail (rail-trail), Pine Creek Trail (railtrail), et al., from Rochester to Williamsport.
Triple Divide Trail is part of planned 400-mile greenway. Concept by 37 planners from 3 states, Williamsport, PA, 11/13/14. From Lake Ontario to Chesapeake Bay Map courtesy Lycoming County PA Planning Commission
Role of Triple Divide Trail in Genesee River Conservation (1) Toehold for Riparian Buffers: Corridor of protected land to widen as buffers. NYSOPRHP and NYSDEC already own GVG and WAG Trail. (2) Community Resource: Generates more local stakeholders for protecting river. (3) Infrastructure for Economic Revitalization: Easier to generate support for conservation if it includes eco-tourism and other $$$ payoffs. (4) Power of Multi-State Collaboration: Now part of plans of NYSOPRHP, PA DCNR, and other state, regional, and county agencies.
A tour of the Triple Divide Trail System
Starting from Rochester and going south on riverside trails... Courtesy Dr. Carl Mueller
Triple Divide Trail will connect the Genesee Valley Greenway... Allen Kerkeslager
Daniel Christiansen, Public Domain
... and connect river access sites in the Genesee River Wilds blueway... Kier Dirlam, Allegany County Planning
... like this one... Genesee River Wilds, Inc.
... and connect the WAG Trail (rail-trail) from Wellsville, NY, to the PA State Line... William Hart, both photos
Upper Genesee River viewed from WAG Trail Courtesy Dean Perry
Courtesy and memory of Mark Libertone
... and connect Pine Creek Gorge, PA; counterpart to Letchworth SP canyon, NY. Pine Creek Trail (rail-trail), one of top 10 bicycle rides in world in USA Today 2001. Take a tour to see one of our models for Genesee River Wilds! Nicholas A. Tonelli, CCAG 2.0
Pine Creek Trail, north-central PA: Cost ca. $9.5 million for first 57 miles. Now ca. 67 miles, brings est. $5 million per year to its PA area. Future link via triple divide to NY. Construction on connection into Wellsboro, PA, begins Aug. 2017 In design stage for first phase of connection from Pine Creek Trail to Williamsport, PA Sources: $9.5 mill., Mark Murawski in "Success Gone PA Wilds," Session E2, PA Greenways and Trails Summit, Oct. 2011; $5 mill. est., PA DCNR 2012, in Susquehanna Greenway econnections Sept. 2012 (et al. on Jersey Shore site).
Pine Creek Trail's impeccably-maintained bicycling surface. Even its restrooms are beautiful. Allen Kerkeslager
Kayak launch and camping area by trail, viewed from Pine Creek. Access only by foot, bicycle, or boat. Allen Kerkeslager
Recreational infrastructure helps businesses like Pine Creek Outfitters (with guide above) and gives educational access to elusive wildlife. Photos: above, courtesy John Dillon, Pine Creek Outfitters, www.pinecrk.com, and Curt Weinhold Photography; middle, US Dept of Interior; far left, Public Affairs, US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District
Last stop: Susquehanna Greenway, Williamsport, PA Allen Kerkeslager
Want to Help? (1) Need for funding, technical skill, staff, and leaders is acute in economically depressed rural headwaters. (2) Get educated on rural sociology: Many in Appalachia lack interest in conservation that comes without jobs. (3) For upper Genesee projects, set wider buffer goal; negotiate public access; budget % for recreation infrastructure, educational signs, etc.; & honor local plans. (4) Funding agencies could provide rural staff instead of grants tailored to cities that can afford grant writers. (5) State agencies could invest more in recreational and educational infrastructure in lands already owned in Allegany County: GVG, state forests, and WAG Trail. GVG aside, there is no state park in Allegany County, NY.
What can be done: Make connections Photo courtesy Wellsville Daily Reporter and GateHouse Media (4/2011), CC BY-NC-ND 3.0