"State honors group for turning rails to trails" from the
Wednesday, November 15th 2000 issue of The Times Herald
Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation created 12-mile rec. trail in center of county
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation received an Innovation Award at the New York State Parks and Conservation Association's first state convention.
The convention was held in Syracuse, and the association presented five awards to organizations and people throughout the state who were involved with creating and developing trails. The Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. , based in the town of Cattaraugus shared its award with the Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails (START).
The award was presented to Richard LeFeber, executive director of the Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. That group formed the rails to trails association to oversee taking ownership of an abandoned rail-road bed owned by the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency and to convert the bed into a recreational trail. The trail was named the Iroquois Recreation Trail .
After Rails to Trails was organized, its members attended some 150 meetings with local municipalities, government agencies, civic organizations, concerned citizens and others.
Since 1999 START was awarded two state grants totaling about $1.5 million to build the 12-mile trail from Salamanca to Cattaraugus. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in May to celebrate the support the trail project had received at local, state and federal levels. Work is expected to start in the spring, including building a Friendship Arch where the trail passes through the village of Little Valley.
Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. officials the project was intended as a model for how to complete trail projects in a short time. Rails to Trails was able to rally the support and funding in less than two years.
Wednesday, November 15, 2000
Tuesday, November 14, 2000
CLDC honored for innovation in Iroquois Recreation Trail Plans - The Salamanca Press
"CLDC honored for innovation in Iroquois Recreation Trail Plans" from the Tuesday, November 14th 2000 of The Salamanca Press
SYRACUSE - The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation (CLDC) has received a Green-way and Community Trail Innovation Award from the New York Parks and Conservation Association (NYPCA) for its work to create the future Iroquois Recreation Trail.
The NYPCA program recognizes individuals or organization working in New York state to create greenways, rail-trails, canal trails, bikeways and river walks. The innovation Award honors creativity in greenway and community trail design, management, fund raising or organization. CLDC plans to convert an abandoned rail line into a 12-mile multi-use trail from Salamanca to Cattaraugus.
"Innovation means thinking outside the box and that's certainly what the Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. did when it took on a protect to turn a long-abandoned rail corridor owned by the local Industrial Development Agency into a community asset." said NYPCA Conservation Director Robin Dropkin.
A committee, called S.T.A.R.T. (Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails) formed under the umbrella Local Development Corp. in 1998, meeting with municipalities, government agencies, civic organizations, concerned citizens, and user groups. The group applied for and was awarded $1.5 million in state and federal funds for the project.
"CLDC used an innovative means to procure the required local match for these grants; it had an appraisal made of the rail bed, convinced the (Cattaraugus County) IDA to sell the rail bed to the organization for $1, and used the difference as the match," said Dropkin. "The innovation does not stop there, either. CLDC negotiated a 30-year agreement with Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. which allows the utility to use the right-of-way in return for a fee that will go toward managing and maintaining the trail. The agreement also includes a wildlife and forestry management program that makes utility a strategic partner in stewardship of the corridor."
The Innovation Award was presented to the CLDC Executive Director Richard LeFeber at an awards dinner Oct. 28 at the Hotel Syracuse in Syracuse.
The target date for the completion of the Iroquois Recreation Trail is December 2001, with the ribbon-cutting scheduled for midnight New Year's Eve.
SYRACUSE - The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation (CLDC) has received a Green-way and Community Trail Innovation Award from the New York Parks and Conservation Association (NYPCA) for its work to create the future Iroquois Recreation Trail.
The NYPCA program recognizes individuals or organization working in New York state to create greenways, rail-trails, canal trails, bikeways and river walks. The innovation Award honors creativity in greenway and community trail design, management, fund raising or organization. CLDC plans to convert an abandoned rail line into a 12-mile multi-use trail from Salamanca to Cattaraugus.
"Innovation means thinking outside the box and that's certainly what the Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. did when it took on a protect to turn a long-abandoned rail corridor owned by the local Industrial Development Agency into a community asset." said NYPCA Conservation Director Robin Dropkin.
A committee, called S.T.A.R.T. (Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails) formed under the umbrella Local Development Corp. in 1998, meeting with municipalities, government agencies, civic organizations, concerned citizens, and user groups. The group applied for and was awarded $1.5 million in state and federal funds for the project.
"CLDC used an innovative means to procure the required local match for these grants; it had an appraisal made of the rail bed, convinced the (Cattaraugus County) IDA to sell the rail bed to the organization for $1, and used the difference as the match," said Dropkin. "The innovation does not stop there, either. CLDC negotiated a 30-year agreement with Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. which allows the utility to use the right-of-way in return for a fee that will go toward managing and maintaining the trail. The agreement also includes a wildlife and forestry management program that makes utility a strategic partner in stewardship of the corridor."
The Innovation Award was presented to the CLDC Executive Director Richard LeFeber at an awards dinner Oct. 28 at the Hotel Syracuse in Syracuse.
The target date for the completion of the Iroquois Recreation Trail is December 2001, with the ribbon-cutting scheduled for midnight New Year's Eve.
Friday, November 10, 2000
Rails to Trails Honored - Special-E-Fects
"Rails to Trails Honored" from the
Friday, November 10, 2000 issue of the Special-E-Fects
Local Organization Receives State-Wide Innovation Award
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation (CLDC) and the Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails (START), were honored at the 1st State Convention of the NYS Parks and Conservation Association, held on October 27th in Syracuse, New York.
Five different awards were presented to various organizations and individuals involved in the creation and development of Trails and Greenway in New York State.
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation and START organization were recipients of the first "Innovation Award" for their unique approach to organization, acquiring and funding a trail, which was the former Erie Railroad bed between the City of Salamanca and the Village of Cattaraugus.
Taking the various experiences of other trails and their "Sister Trail," the Chautauqua Rail-Trail, the members of the CLDC and START were able to create and implement a strategy to simultaneously secure ownership, public support and funding to rapidly move the project along.
Because so many individuals, organizations, businesses, municipalities, agencies and political leaders collaborated to make this a success, we were able to literally accomplish in 18 months what has taken other organizations 7-10 years!" stated Rick LeFeber, Executive Director of the CLDC. "This prestigious Statewide Award validates everyone's efforts and belief in this project. It recognizes that a rural county like Cattaraugus can complete on a larger scale - if we focus on working together, using common sense for a common good. this is one more step in the process for our area's economic and community revitalizations."
Local Organization Receives State-Wide Innovation Award
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation (CLDC) and the Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails (START), were honored at the 1st State Convention of the NYS Parks and Conservation Association, held on October 27th in Syracuse, New York.
Five different awards were presented to various organizations and individuals involved in the creation and development of Trails and Greenway in New York State.
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation and START organization were recipients of the first "Innovation Award" for their unique approach to organization, acquiring and funding a trail, which was the former Erie Railroad bed between the City of Salamanca and the Village of Cattaraugus.
Taking the various experiences of other trails and their "Sister Trail," the Chautauqua Rail-Trail, the members of the CLDC and START were able to create and implement a strategy to simultaneously secure ownership, public support and funding to rapidly move the project along.
Because so many individuals, organizations, businesses, municipalities, agencies and political leaders collaborated to make this a success, we were able to literally accomplish in 18 months what has taken other organizations 7-10 years!" stated Rick LeFeber, Executive Director of the CLDC. "This prestigious Statewide Award validates everyone's efforts and belief in this project. It recognizes that a rural county like Cattaraugus can complete on a larger scale - if we focus on working together, using common sense for a common good. this is one more step in the process for our area's economic and community revitalizations."
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