The National Park Service's "Connect Trails To Park" grants have been awarded for 17 projects this year. The grants total $873,000, and are being given to places where national historic and scenic trails intersect with national parks and other Federal facilities. The full list of recipients can be found here, but it includes:Rocky Mountain National Park, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail: $59,750 to build a new kiosk, pavilion, and entrance sign for the trail at Grand Lake.Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Stanwix National Memorial, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park: $30,485 to construct North Country National Scenic Trail waysides at Grand Marais, Michigan; Rome, New York, and; Dayton, OhioRidgefield National Wildlife Refuge: $35,000 to provide for Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail interpretive programming at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse in Ridgefield, Washington.Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail: $45,205 to develop an "Explore the Outdoors, Your Life Depends on It" education program in Great Falls, Montana.The grant program was established in 2008 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 52,000 mile National Trails System. The Trails System dates from 1968 legislation that created the Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails. Today, the National Trails System is comprised of 11 national scenic trails (NSTs), 19 national historic trails (NHTs), and more than 1,050 national recreation trails (NRTs). (via Daily Dirt)MP3: Jack Rose - Revolt
Allegheny National Forest
Allegheny National Forest covers 512,998 acres of Northwest Pennsylvania. Two hundred years ago the forest was mostly Eastern Hemlock and American Beech, but today the area is comprised mostly of black cherry, maple and other hardwoods. The disappearance of hemlock began in the 1850s when tanneries started using hemlock bark as their source for curing leather. The industry received a great boost by the Civil War demand for harness, military equipment and industrial belting. By the end of the century, the tanning industry was a major forest industry in Pennsylvania. Goodbye Hemlock.That sure is one green forest.MP3: Farm Band - Lord's Work