Appalachian Trail Conservancy urges Congress to consider Trailside communities in stimulus packages
In mid-March, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy submitted a letter to the Appropriations Committees in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives asking them to take special consideration of the Trailside communities that rely on outdoor recreation dollars in upcoming stimulus packages. The closure of the AT is likely to have deep economic impacts on these rural Trailside communities.
“Many of these communities are in the early stages of building small businesses focused on serving the outdoor recreation community,” the ATC wrote in the letter. “Many Trail-related businesses will not survive the impact of travel restrictions and attempts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Economic stimulus legislation under development now in Congress needs to generate the necessary income and workforce development for rural communities to recover quickly.”
Georgia DNR announces 12 grants through the Recreational Trails Program
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has selected the recipients of the Georgia Recreational Trails Program grants for construction and rehabilitation of trails. Selected applicants are now asked to submit final applications for their proposals, which will result in nearly $2.5 million of funding to support outdoor access in Georgia, according to a press release.
“We are excited to support these communities and these projects because we want to make sure that every Georgian has a chance to get outdoors,” said Mark Williams, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. “We’ve seen public access dramatically increase through the many great trails built in partnership with RTP, and we are looking forward to even more.”
Tour de France postponed due to COVID-19
The world’s most famous cycling event has decided to postpone amidst the global pandemic. The three-week race is still scheduled to take place in 2020 but has received a new start date of August 29. The race will run until September 20. The route of the Tour de France will remain the same.
“We would like to thank all of cycling’s stakeholders, the Tour de France’s partners, its broadcasters as well as all of the local authorities for their reactivity and support,” the organization said in a statement. “We all hope that the 2020 Tour de France will help to turn the page on the difficult period that we are currently experiencing.”
