News

Support from the National Park Service for county-wide linear trail in El Paso County

December 12, 2017

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation has been selected to receive support from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program to work with the Foundation’s planning consultants and community stakeholders to develop the trail alignment for a 50-mile county-wide linear trail in El Paso County. The RTCA program team will spend a week in El Paso in mid-January working with stakeholders to advance, in particular, the development of the portion of the proposed trail from Sunland Park to the Chamizal National Park.

According to the National Park Service, the county-wide trail project advances their program goal “of enhancing close to home outdoor recreation opportunities, particularly in urban areas.”

The Health Foundation applied for support from the RTCA program in partnership with the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department to help with the trail alignment in the downtown core that is innovative and context-sensitive; research and provide feedback on best practices for trail design in urban, arid environments; work with stakeholders and partners in the action planning process; and facilitate discussions about the best mechanisms for advancing trail implementation.

“We are grateful to the leadership at the RTCA program for their engagement in the project. Our goal is to develop a trail that connects communities, celebrates El Paso’s history and culture, highlights the Rio Grande, promotes health and active living, and catalyzes economic development as a regional attraction,” said Tracy J. Yellen, CEO of the Health Foundation. “We look forward to working with the RTCA team, community stakeholders and the broader community to develop a new amenity for our region.”

For more information on the county-wide trail, visit pasodelnortetrail.org.