DNR To Host First Maryland Trails Summit

Registration Ends October 4

Annapolis, Md. (September 27, 2010) —  The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host the Maryland Trail Summit from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19 at the Holiday Inn BWI Airport in Linthicum Heights, Md. Participants must register for the summit by October 4.

“Maryland and our partners are working together to build a trail system that will be second to none,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “By expanding and improving our trail system, we are working to give Marylanders even more of a reason to get outside and experience all of the natural beauty our great State has to offer.”

The summit will bring together trail users from across the State to discuss the future of trails in Maryland, preview an interactive map and website, work on regional projects, network with other trail users and planners, learn about trails in neighboring states and much more. This one-day event is the culmination of ideas and input from four regional roundtables that DNR hosted this summer.

The summit is geared toward commuters, boaters, bicyclists, rollerbladers, hikers, walkers, skiers, joggers, pet lovers, paddlers, campers, birders, off-road vehicle riders, equestrians, and professionals working for trails.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with welcoming remarks at 9 a.m. Workshops and panel discussions will take place throughout the day, culminating with a closing dinner at 5:30 p.m. The summit costs $50 and includes three meals and a reception.

The morning keynote speaker is Tom Horton, local outdoors author and trail enthusiast. Trail coordinators from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware will be a part of the panel discussion.

Former DNR Secretary Torrey C. Brown will be the dinner keynote speaker. Brown was the major driving force in developing the abandoned Northern Central rail line as the state’s first multi-use recreational trail in 1984. The trail blossomed under Brown’s leadership, creating a national model of what could be done with abandoned railroad property, and other states used this vision as a model. The Northern Central Rail Trail at Gunpowder State Park was officially renamed the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail in 2007 in his honor.

The summit is supported in part by the National Park Service Challenge Cost-Share Program and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Office. Other sponsors include REI, Toole Design Group, and the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association, Inc.

Maryland’s Trail summit requires online registration by October 4. Space is limited. To register visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/land/Trails/FirstTrailsSummit.asp.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov