Group Explores Linking Emlenton to Foxburg on the Allegheny Trail

| February 15, 2018

FOXBURG, Pa. (EYT) – A group of area volunteers are trying to add a missing link to the Allegheny Trail.

(Photo courtesy Allegheny Valley Trails Association.)

“What we’re trying to do is connect the Emlenton to Foxburg Trail, and that would basically connect you to Franklin, Oil City, and the whole way down to Parker,” said Fred McIlhattan, of Knox, one of the organizers of the Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County group.

“You have a hole now between Emlenton and Foxburg.”

Private landholders own the short “hole” in the trail, and the new group has had some discussions with them.

“We have a series of landowners to deal with,” continued McIlhattan. “It’s not a done deal, but we hope that we can get it accomplished in a three to five year time period. It’s a difficult situation and a challenge. It’s not a simple thing to accomplish.”

Discussions continue and the group hopes to have a better idea by the end of March if it is possible to acquire the property.

Robert L. Jennings – a retired trail owner who moved to Foxburg with his wife and built a house on the river – is another key member of the group.

“We’re trying to work out a win-win situation,” Jennings said. “They want access to their properties. They’re all landlocked down on the river. We’re working on arrangements where they give us an easement through their property, and then we can put in a gravel access road.”

The group’s first meeting was held in December to determine interest in the project, and the enthusiasm of the 45 people present convinced McIlhattan and Jennings to move forward.

‘We’ve done a lot of work since our first meeting in December, met with a lot of people, and we have experts analyzing the situation (on) what we would need for a DCNR grant application,” Jennings said. “We would have to raise a 20 percent match for a DCNR grant application, and that’s going to be due in April 2019.”

Since December, the Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County group secured a mailbox at the Foxburg Post Office, established a bank account at Farmers National Bank, and obtained an IRS tax identification number.

Jennings is now in the process of getting approved for 501c3 federal status as a charitable organization. After this is done, the group can begin to solicit member contributions and raise funds necessary for a DCNR grant.

Other organizations have also had a hand in the trail project, including the Allegheny Valley Trail Association, Armstrong Rails to Trails, and the Oil Region Alliance.

“I love bike trails,” McIlhattan said. “I’m a big supporter of bike trails and ride them a lot.  I’m glad to see the trail developing up on Route 66 and think it’s going to be a great trail, and the one they have in New Bethlehem is also great.  It has a lot of advantages to it.”

Jennings also sees some possible economic benefits.

“This trail project is something that would be important for the local towns to increase the traffic into the town and increase economic activity and a chance for few people to have their kids or grandkids to have jobs locally instead of having to flee the area.”


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