Baileys Trail gets funding boost
The Bailey’s Trail System will eventually feature 88 miles of mountain bike trail in the Wayne National Forest.
Another major grant financing the Baileys Trail System project in Wayne National Forest was announced this week.
The Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal-state partnership, is offering $1.2 million toward the project. This is part of a broader $44 million in grants to fund development projects in “Appalachia’s coal-impacted communities.”
ARC awarded other funds in this area to an addiction treatment program and to a project to install more than 150 miles of fiber to provide broadband internet to rural areas of Southeast Ohio.
The trail funding is being awarded to Rural Action, which reported in a news release that it is contributing (along with its partners) an additional $750,000 into the project.
“I think this has the potential to be a significant opportunity for our region, and we are excited to be a part of the effort,” Rural Action CEO Debbie Phillips said in 2018 when the grant proposal was submitted.
The Baileys Trail System will eventually feature 88 miles of mountain bike trails. Proponents have estimated the attraction will draw 180,000 visitors to the Wayne National Forest each year, leading to new jobs, businesses and tourism-related spending.
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