Millennium TRAIL
Millennium Trail Passes Senate Hurdle
The American Discovery Trail received some good news from the floor of the United States Senate recently. On November 19, the Senate passed by unanimous consent the National Discovery Trails Act of 1999 (S.734). Bill sponsor and Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Frank Murkowski stated, "This is an historic piece of legislation. By combining volunteer efforts with those of local and state governments, we have created a partnership, which ultimately will benefit the entire country…and I believe it will set a precedent for future trails across America." Senate bill 734 designates the American Discovery Trail as the first national discovery trail, a newly established trail category under the existing National Trails System Act. The legislation must now pass the House. The American Discovery Trail, a National Millennium Trail that runs from Delaware to California, has the distinction of carrying nine of 50 Millennium Legacy Trails along its route. For more information on the ADT and S.734, visit:
Millennium Legacy Trails Announced
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater designated the 50 National Millennium Legacy Trails at a White House event on October 21. The Governors of the 50 participating states and territories selected the Millennium Legacy Trails because they reflect the essence and spirit of the areas they represent. In all, 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are represented in the program. The First Lady stated, "These 50 Millennium Legacy Trails symbolize the spirit of our efforts to connect our nation's culture, heritage and communities." At the designation ceremony, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Bill Ivey announced that the NEA has joined the Millennium Trails partnership by contributing $520,000 to support community-centered arts projects linked with the Millennium Legacy Trails (see Partner News). For a complete list of all 50 Millennium Legacy Trails and for additional information about Millennium Trails, please visit their web site at:
Millennium Trails FAQ's
- Q. What is the Millennium Trails initiative?
- A. Millennium Trails is a three part national initiative designed to spark the creation or enhancement of trails across America and to bring together diverse groups in support of trails and the shared experiences they represent.
- Q. Who is sponsoring the Millennium Trails initiative?
- A. The initiative is a partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the Department of Transportation in association with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Others include: Endowment for the Arts,NPS, USFS, AHS, American Trails and National Recreation & Parks Association.
- Q. What kinds of trails can receive Millennium trails designation?
- A. All kinds of trails have been selected to participate, including: Hiking and biking trails, greenways, rail-trails, waterways, heritage trails, scenic byways, alternative transportation corridors and many other types of trails.
- Q. How can trail projects apply?
- A. National Millennium and Millennium Legacy trails have already been selected. Your project can apply for Community Trails 2000, for more information go to: .
If you are interested in participating, please fill out the form on page 7 and send it to:
WVTC
PO Box 487
Nitro WV 25143
Attn: Karen
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