Catonsville Short Line Ribbon Cutting set for Saturday, October 19, 2013


Catonsville Rails To Trails will hold a ribbon cutting for the Catonsville Short Line on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 9 a.m. The event will be held behind Western School of Technology and Environmental Sciences located at 100 Kenwood Ave.
The public is invited!

<a href="http://catonsvillerailstotrails.com/bike-to-work-day-is-friday-may-17-2013/">http://catonsvillerailstotrails.com/bike-to-work-day-is-friday-may-17-2013/</a>;
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The C&O Canal National Historical Park will be closed for the duration of the government shutdown.


During the shutdown, the Park is closed. This includes the towpath and all facilities. Visitation is strictly prohibited.

  • Visitor traffic, whether on foot, bike, or horse, is strictly prohibited.
  • Bicyclists planning rides from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP and C&O Canal should plan to turn back at Cumberland.
  • All Visitors Centers are CLOSED.
  • Hiker/Bikers and campgrounds are CLOSED.
  • The Canal Quarters lockhouses are CLOSED.
  • All restroom facilities, both permanent and portable, are CLOSED.
  • Handles have been removed from all well pumps.
  • The only Park staff that will be on duty will be law enforcement rangers.
  • The portion of the Capital Crescent Trail that runs parallel to the towpath in DC is managed by the C&O Canal NHP and is CLOSED. 
  • All access roads to the Park are CLOSED. This means you will not be able to trailer boats to boat ramps along the towpath.
  • Interpretive and educational programming in the Park will be temporarily suspended. School field trips to the Park will need to be rescheduled once Park staff has returned.
  • Volunteer events and events requiring special use permits will not be able to take place.
  • All volunteers working in an official capacity should cease volunteer activities immediately and not enter the Park's premises.


http://canaltrust.org/trust/index.php?page=government-shutdown
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Follow-Up on How to Access the New DNR Trail Guides


[B' Spokes: Via email.]

I would like to thank everyone for the great feedback regarding the new online trail guides. It seems that the biggest issue was simply locating the new trail guides online or downloading them into the “PDF Maps” app. In response to these problems I thought it might be helpful to provide a little clarification on how exactly to access these new maps. First let me remind everyone that this initiative is ongoing and not all parks are completed at this time. So if the park your interested in isn’t currently available please stay tuned, we hope to have these completed as quickly as possible. See the list of completed parks below for currently available trail guides. Second, and more importantly, users must access and download the trail guides from the DNR website exclusively. To clarify, the new trail guides are only available via the DNR website and must be accessed through each individual park website. See detailed instructions on how to find trail maps within DNR website below.
To access the new trail guides follow these instructions:
1.)First, visit the DNR Homepage and click on the parks tab located at the top of page. DNR Homepage located here: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/
2.) Next, from the pull down menu on the right select the park you are interested in and click view park brochure.
3.) Under the info tab on the right you should be able to locate the new trail guide.
4.) Once you have accessed the trail guide you can view, print, or download the map at no cost.
5.) If you would like to use the PDF Maps App, You must first download the app to a phone and upload a copy of the trail guide to the app. For clarification see below.
For those individuals who have downloaded the app or wish to use the “PDF Maps” app and take advantage of interactive mapping features, it is important to know that at the present time trail guides are only available via park websites and cannot be accessed through the Avenza Map Store. This means that to download the map to the app users will have to use the “From the web” option when adding maps and enter the address of the online PDF or alternatively store a copy of the downloaded map to a site like Dropbox or ITunes File sharing for uploading to the app. In the future our hope is to make maps available through the Avenza Map store but currently we are not offering this option. We appreciate your patience while we complete the new trail guides and encourage comments and feedback as we continue to refine the product.
Thanks Again
Cheers!
STEVE CARR
Land Trails Planner
Land Acquisition & Planning
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue, E-4
Annapolis, MD 21401
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Original Email Below……
DNR Now Offering Free Online Trail Guides for Maryland State Parks
A new online trail guide mapping initiative is currently underway at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). State park and other natural resource visitors now have more options when accessing trail guides.
Previously, trail guides were only available for purchase through the DNR online store or at individual park offices. Now trail guides may also be viewed online, printed from home, or downloaded in digital format at no cost to the user.
The new format of the trail guide allows visitors easier access to trail information, better options in trip planning or hiking, and increased safety through accurate up-to-date conditions of trails.
While the initiative is underway it will be some time before all parks and other resource areas have the new guides available. The list below highlights parks currently offering the new trail guide.
The new trail guides are being offered as Geo-referenced Portable Document Format Maps or PDF Maps. These maps can be used on any electronic device with the free Adobe Reader software.
Geo-referenced PDF’s have all the same features as a standard PDF but they now allow visitors the ability to use proven 3rd party applications that increase the functionality of the trail guide. For more information see below.

Free Apps Allow Visitors More Opportunities with Online Trail Guides

Newly released applications (apps) for both IOS and Android devices allow visitors the opportunity to enjoy interactive features using the new online trail guides.
Apps like “PDF Maps” released by Avenza Systems Inc. allow visitors to easily download, browse, navigate and interact with the new geo-referenced
PDF trail guides in both an online and offline environment. This means that visitors can utilize this application and trail guide even when not connected to the internet.
For more information on installing and using this application visit: www.avenza.com/pdf-Maps

Areas now offering New Trail Guides

·Patapsco Valley State Park
·Seneca Creek State Park
·Rosaryville State Park
·Merkle Wildlife Area
·Cunningham Falls State Park (New)
Coming Soon….
Calvert Cliffs State Park
We encourage visitors to download and use the new trail guide, or if you have already done so, then feedback and comments are welcome. they may be e-mailed to Rodney Vese Jr. at: rvese@dnr.state.md.us


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Petition: Connect the MA & PA Trail


The Petition

I urge the elected officials of Harford County and Bel Air to secure the land rights to allow for the connection of the Ma and Pa trail segments between Williams St. in Bel Air and Melrose Lane in Forest Hill using the most cost effective means possible.&quot;


Sign petition <a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mapatrailconnect/">http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mapatrailconnect/</a>;
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Councilwoman promoting area trails, physical fitness with 335-mile bicycle ride


Nicole Wagoner says paths have huge economic impact

By Greg Larry, Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — City council member Nicole Wagoner will participate in a 335-mile bicycle journey from Washington to Pittsburgh to promote area trails and physical fitness.

In addition to her council post, Wagoner is the director of sales for Fairfield Inn and Suites and president of Mountain Maryland Trails, a nonprofit organization that helps raise awareness about the trails and works with the county to provide maintenance and improve amenities.
...

Wagoner, 35, from Fort Ashby, W.Va., wants to take part in the journey for three reasons.

She wants to promote the trail and raise awareness about the economic impact it has on the area. Another reason is to show that anyone, at any fitness level, can enjoy the trail. The third reason is to raise money for Mountain Maryland Trails.
...

<a href="http://times-news.com/local/x541284072/Councilwoman-promoting-area-trails-physical-fitness-with-335-mile-bicycle-ride">http://times-news.com/local/x541284072/Councilwoman-promoting-area-trails-physical-fitness-with-335-mile-bicycle-ride</a>;
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A Week On Two Wheels


8 days. 335-miles. Biking from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA on the C&amp;O Canal Towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage.

<a href="http://ridethegap.blogspot.com/2013/06/mud-muddier-mudpies.html?spref=fb">http://ridethegap.blogspot.com/2013/06/mud-muddier-mudpies.html?spref=fb</a>;
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[B' Spokes: A blog about an epic bike ride.]

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CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE C&D WESTERN PORTION OF C&D TRAIL


[B' Spokes: Catching up on some old emails.]
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3, 2012


CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE C&amp;D WESTERN PORTION OF C&amp;D TRAIL


WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today announced a U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) grant for slightly more than $2 million to complete the western 1.8 miles of Chesapeake &amp; Delaware (C&amp;D) Trail. The funding will be used to complete the final Maryland portion of the 17-mile trail linking Chesapeake City, Maryland to Delaware City, Delaware.

&quot;Completion of the Chesapeake &amp; Delaware Canal Trail has been one of my top priorities,&quot; said. Senator Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. &quot;The C&amp;D Trail is a recreational treasure and this $2 million in federal funds ensures the completion of the Trail, which will attract tourists who want to enjoy the experience of hiking and biking between Chesapeake City, Maryland and Delaware City, Delaware.&quot;

&quot;The C&amp;D Canal is a pathway to our history and a pathway to enjoying nature and recreation,&quot; said Senator Mikulski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related agencies. &quot;I'm so proud to fight for Maryland in the Senate. These federal dollars will bring jobs to the area and help grow the local tourism economy. Improving this trail will help draw new visitors to our state's national treasures and preserve them for generations to come.&quot;

&quot;I join Senator Cardin in congratulating Chesapeake City on receiving this grant. The C&amp;D Trail extension will provide economic, tourism and recreational benefits to Chesapeake City,&quot; said Maryland Secretary of Planning Richard Eberhart Hall. &quot;This project and others like it advance Governor O'Malley's goal to restore the health of Chesapeake Bay by investing in our existing towns and encouraging sustainable communities. The trail project will make Chesapeake City more accessible to many visitors and help them enjoy its unique history and heritage.&quot;

The C&amp;D Trail is a planned 17-mile bicycle and pedestrian pathway between Maryland and Delaware that runs along the north bank of the C&amp;D Canal. The Trail will have restroom facilities and signage and provide visitors with direct access to the ferry in Chesapeake City.



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