The U.S. Secretary of Interior Gale A. Norton and National Park Service Director Fran Mainella announced this past month in St. Paul, Minnesota that the Montour Trail has been designated a "National Recreational Trail." The Montour Trail received this honor along with 26 others trails nationwide.

The national recreation trails designation is an honor given to those existing trails that have been nominated and meet the requirements for connecting people to local resources and improving their quality of life. In order to be nominated for designation as part of the National Recreation Trails System, a trail must be open to public use for at least 10 years after designation and must be designed, constructed and maintained according to best management practices and in compliance with applicable land use plans and environmental laws. NRT designation must also be supported by the landowners whose property the trail crosses.

The Montour Trail Council is proud to be included among other nationally recognized trails. "This designation recognizes the work of our all-volunteer organization in creating a trail that meets the nation's highest quality standards, " said Dennis Pfeiffer, President of the MTC. "We are grateful that the U.S. Department of the Interior has honored us so quickly, barely a year after our trail attained the 10 years of use required before we could apply for national designation."

- Bruce Barron