We’re so excited to have been a partner in the mapping the Cambridge trails, a Healthy Community Design Project! This post originally appeared in a Lamoille County Planning Commission Newsletter…
Cambridge Trails are on the Map Planning a hike in Cambridge just got easier with the newly released “Cambridge Recreation Trails Guide.” Winter through Spring of 2014, community partners in Cambridge and Jeffersonville worked together to compile information on local trail networks, historic sites, boat access points, and local businesses in the area to be made available to the public in the form of a recreation trails brochure. The project was initiated during the Cambridge and Jeffersonville Town Plan updates, both of which identified outdoor recreation as a priority in their communities. The project eventually grew to include an economic development component and now lists several businesses and local farm and food resources in town. The economic and health impact of the availability of trails in a community has been well documented. Well maintained trails create a new customer base for local businesses, as trail users visit local stores, restaurants, and galleries. Access to trails can also significantly increase the level of physical activity in a community, provide alternative transportation routes, opportunities for connecting with nature, and help communities mitigate costs associated with flood management. This project was led by the Lamoille County Planning Commission in collaboration with the Cambridge Conservation Commission. While working closely with the Conservation Commission members and community partners, LCPC staff provided mapping assistance, brochure development and meeting facilitation. Contributing community partners also included the Cambridge and Jeffersonville Planning Commissions, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Cambridge Trail Coalition, Cambridge Artists and Entrepreneurs, Smugglers’ Notch Area Chamber of Commerce and Healthy Lamoille Valley. The project was funded through a community-based health grant made available as part of Healthy Lamoille Valley’s “Healthy Community Design” initiative. An online version of the Cambridge Recreation Trails Guide will soon be found at www.lcpcvt.org in the Cambridge section or www.cambridgeconservation.com. For more information on the “Cambridge Recreation Trails Guide“, please contact the Cambridge Conservation Commission at [email protected] or the Lamoille County Planning Commission at (802) 888-4548.