[Ncrt-alerts] Initial Alert from NC Rail-Trails

[Periodic Emails on NCRT activities]

Please change EM address to doc at gagedaly.com.  Thanks



Periodic Emails on NCRT activities <ncrt-alerts at ncrailtrails.org> 
Sent by: ncrt-alerts-bounces at ncrailtrails.org
04/15/2009 02:43 PM
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[Ncrt-alerts] Initial Alert from NC Rail-Trails






This brief alert is being sent to you because of interest you have shown 
in the work of NC Rail-Trails and rail-trail development. We plan to send 
these alerts out periodically to keep you abreast of upcoming events, 
recent news items and new content on our web site. If you would rather not 
receive these alerts please follow the 'options' link below to 
unsubscribe. 
Curt Devereux
Webmaster
NC Rail-Trails
webmaster at ncrailtrails.org 
Our recent (4/4/09) Board meeting at Highpoint was a long day but we 
accomplished a lot on several fronts: 
Using a professional facilitator, we moved forward on completing the final 
sections of the Business Plan we have been working on for about 18 months. 
This final phase focused on the strategy and objectives for NCRT's efforts 
over the next 5 years. Over the next few months we'll let you know more on 
the specifics of our plans. One key and fairly major project will be to 
commission the design of a new web site. Our new site will employ much 
more modern technology and will support upgraded display of maps and 
pictures and a number of tools for better interaction with our members and 
others using our site. New content should enable web users to learn more 
about development projects and about how they may use and support existing 
rail-trails around the State. Over time we plan to develop a searchable 
body of resource materials that will be readable and down loadable from 
the site. Over the next 30 days we plan to solicit proposals to design and 
develop this new site. We hope to have it up and running late in the 
Summer. 
The Board discussed numerous strategies for new and expanded efforts for 
the group and decided to start the process of hiring a part-time Executive 
Director. This will allow greater focus on many of the things we have been 
doing but will definitely be key to numerous new outreach efforts to reach 
the full range of citizens and groups interested in rail-trail development 
in North Carolina. Our goal is to have the position filled within 12 
months. 
We also filled two (2) openings on the Board of Directors: For a 
three-year term we elected Steve Smutko, a Ph.D. Extension Specialist at 
NCSU and Director of Natural Resource Leadership Institute. The Institute 
trains corporate and nonprofit leaders in conflict resolution around 
environmental issues. For a two year term we elected Alison Carpenter, a 
Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner specializing in programs, coordination and 
planning studies. Among her professional affiliations, she is a charter 
member and board member of the N.C. Active Transportation Alliance 
(NCATA). Ms. Carpenter will serve through 2010. 
We received encouraging progress reports on several rail-trail projects: 
For the Brevard Bike Path, we learned that the extension of the Brevard 
Bike Path into the Pisgah National Forest should be completed (or at least 
be well underway) this Summer. Most of this extension will be upon the 
crown of the dismantled railbed of the defunct Carr Lumber Railroad. NCDOT 
stimulus enhancement funds are being used to fund a safe crossing of the 
wide and busy Asheville Highway. The path will connect with the Art Loeb 
Trail. The latter trail is a connector to and part of the Mountains to the 
Sea Trail. We also heard reports on the Gallimore Road Multi-Use Path and 
the Hendersonville to Brevard Rail-Trail. See our recently opened NEWSPAGE 
for more on these trails and on several other projects. 
Decisions were reached to try to accelerate our external communication 
efforts. Some of our initial efforts include these periodic alert Emails, 
posting of digitized documents on the web site and the new NEWSPAGE. These 
efforts should allow us to get information out far sooner than in Little 
Toot, our quarterly publication. 
_______________________________________________
Ncrt-alerts mailing list
Ncrt-alerts at ncrailtrails.org
http://ncrailtrails.org/mailman/listinfo/ncrt-alerts

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