How to build a How to build a paddle trail in your paddle trail in your communitycommunity

Session IISession II

Micro-Level DevelopmentMicro-Level Development

February 22, 2006February 22, 2006

Community Community DevelopmentDevelopment Long term processLong term process Sustainability requiresSustainability requires

– PartnershipsPartnerships– Deliberate NetworkingDeliberate Networking– Creative conflict resolutionCreative conflict resolution

Community Community DevelopmentDevelopment No matter how dedicated you are, No matter how dedicated you are,

you can not do this aloneyou can not do this alone Why not? Why not?

– FundingFunding– LiabilityLiability– SupportSupport– SustainabilitySustainability

ProcessProcess

IdeaIdea Public MeetingPublic Meeting Steering CommitteeSteering Committee Asset MappingAsset Mapping SWOTSWOT PlanPlan TimelineTimeline MOUMOU Volunteer recruitmentVolunteer recruitment Start the processStart the process

IdeaIdea

Ok fine, I am an individual or small group Ok fine, I am an individual or small group and I want to build a paddle trail. and I want to build a paddle trail.

So, how do I get started?So, how do I get started?

Initial MeetingInitial Meeting

Request a meeting with your Request a meeting with your county/town planner, parks and county/town planner, parks and recreation director, and county recreation director, and county Extension director.Extension director.

Why these three? Why these three?

N.C. Cooperative N.C. Cooperative ExtensionExtension In all 100 counties, plus Cherokee In all 100 counties, plus Cherokee

ReservationReservation County, State, Federal Government County, State, Federal Government

partnershippartnership Educators and Professional FacilitatorsEducators and Professional Facilitators Provides technical assistance to farmers, Provides technical assistance to farmers,

families, and other landownersfamilies, and other landowners Assists with community developmentAssists with community development

County/Town PlannerCounty/Town Planner

Responsible for Municipal Responsible for Municipal planning processplanning process

Is aware of long term planning Is aware of long term planning goalsgoals

Coordinates with tax and land Coordinates with tax and land records officesrecords offices

Understands permitting processUnderstands permitting process

Parks & Recreation Parks & Recreation DirectorDirector Managing parks facilities & Managing parks facilities &

recreational programmingrecreational programming Networked with local Networked with local

conservation groups and conservation groups and recreational clubsrecreational clubs

Access to PARTF grantAccess to PARTF grant

Parks and Recreation Parks and Recreation Offices MapOffices Map

At the initial meetingAt the initial meeting

Develop a list of stakeholdersDevelop a list of stakeholders Determine who should personally Determine who should personally

contact each stakeholdercontact each stakeholder Locate a facility to hold the public Locate a facility to hold the public

meetingmeeting Set a dateSet a date

Potential StakeholdersPotential Stakeholders

Municipal & Elected OfficialsMunicipal & Elected Officials Wildlife ResourcesWildlife Resources Tourism contactsTourism contacts LandownersLandowners Real Estate DevelopersReal Estate Developers Community College FacultyCommunity College Faculty Religious & Volunteer OrganizationsReligious & Volunteer Organizations

Potential StakeholdersPotential Stakeholders

Non-government OrganizationsNon-government Organizations Business OwnersBusiness Owners Chamber of CommerceChamber of Commerce Community/Economic Development Community/Economic Development

OfficersOfficers Emergency ManagementEmergency Management MediaMedia And of course, paddlers!And of course, paddlers!

Public MeetingPublic Meeting

Arrange date for public meetingArrange date for public meeting Publicize meeting openly and Publicize meeting openly and

extensively at least 4 weeks prior extensively at least 4 weeks prior Can be held in conjunction with Can be held in conjunction with

other large well publicized event other large well publicized event such as municipal strategic plan such as municipal strategic plan or SCORP planor SCORP plan

Public MeetingPublic Meeting

Provide the following information Provide the following information to show how different factions can to show how different factions can benefit from adding a paddle trail benefit from adding a paddle trail to your community.to your community.

SCORPSCORP

State Comprehensive Outdoor State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation PlanRecreation Plan

SCORPSCORP

If the state is going to effectively If the state is going to effectively address its outdoor recreational needs, address its outdoor recreational needs, the commitment must come from the commitment must come from within North Carolina.within North Carolina.

A cooperative effort is needed from all A cooperative effort is needed from all interested agencies, groups, and interested agencies, groups, and individuals to build support for quality individuals to build support for quality recreational opportunities and natural recreational opportunities and natural resource conservation.resource conservation.

Paddle Trail Benefits?Paddle Trail Benefits?Landowner’s Landowner’s

PerspectivePerspective

Earn supplemental incomeEarn supplemental income Teach others about what rural life Teach others about what rural life

is really likeis really like Create jobs for family membersCreate jobs for family members Diversify productsDiversify products Preserve land and farmlandPreserve land and farmland

Paddle Trail Benefits Paddle Trail Benefits Visitor Visitor

PerspectivePerspective

Rural is safe and wholesomeRural is safe and wholesome Re-connect with nature Re-connect with nature Desire for non-MTV recreationDesire for non-MTV recreation Natural areas are diminishing as cities Natural areas are diminishing as cities

and suburbs sprawl (supply decreases, and suburbs sprawl (supply decreases, demand increases)demand increases)

Teach kids/ grandkids about rural life/ Teach kids/ grandkids about rural life/ growing up outside the citygrowing up outside the city

UniqueUnique

Paddle Trail BenefitsPaddle Trail BenefitsCommunity Community

PerspectivePerspective

Fabulous mix of Fabulous mix of Cultural preservation/ celebrationCultural preservation/ celebration Farm/ open space preservationFarm/ open space preservation EducationEducation Economic developmentEconomic development Rural/ community pride and Rural/ community pride and

vitalityvitality

Paddle Trail BenefitsPaddle Trail BenefitsDeveloper’s Developer’s

PerspectivePerspective Why include Real Estate Agents Why include Real Estate Agents

and Developers?and Developers? Palmetto BluffPalmetto Bluff

Potential Tourism Potential Tourism ProductsProducts EXPERIENCES! MEMORIES!EXPERIENCES! MEMORIES! Water activities – canoeing, Water activities – canoeing,

kayaking, fishing, huntingkayaking, fishing, hunting Camping/ lodgingCamping/ lodging Guided educational & eco-friendly Guided educational & eco-friendly

tour packagestour packages Special events/ festivalsSpecial events/ festivals

NC Tourism NC Tourism

Local County ContactsLocal County Contacts Heritage Tourism ContactsHeritage Tourism Contacts

Public MeetingPublic Meeting

Assess interest in group for Assess interest in group for planning paddle trailplanning paddle trail

Determine if there are enough Determine if there are enough people interested in serving on a people interested in serving on a steering committeesteering committee

Public MeetingPublic Meeting

If not, stop the process!If not, stop the process! You will have to work on building You will have to work on building

personal communications with personal communications with individuals in the community until individuals in the community until enough critical mass is reached to enough critical mass is reached to make the effort sustainable.make the effort sustainable.

Steering CommitteeSteering Committee ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

If there is enough interest to If there is enough interest to proceed:proceed:

Elect steering committee Elect steering committee membersmembers

Plan for email/internet updates Plan for email/internet updates Schedule at least one physical Schedule at least one physical

meeting per monthmeeting per month

Steering CommitteeSteering CommitteeResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

Asset MappingAsset Mapping SWOT AnalysisSWOT Analysis Planning Planning

ConsiderationsConsiderations NetworkingNetworking

Strategic PlanStrategic Plan TimelineTimeline MOA/MOUMOA/MOU VolunteersVolunteers Starting the Starting the

processprocess

Steering CommitteeSteering Committee ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

TAKE NOTES! chronicling the TAKE NOTES! chronicling the process is imperativeprocess is imperative

Send updates to all people Send updates to all people involvedinvolved

Write press releases for Write press releases for media/public meetingsmedia/public meetings

Asset MappingAsset Mapping

List all positive features of your List all positive features of your communitycommunity

Determine how a possible trail Determine how a possible trail could complement those featurescould complement those features

Network with the people in charge Network with the people in charge of those features of those features

Involve them in the processInvolve them in the process

SWOT AnalysisSWOT Analysis

StrengthsStrengths WeaknessesWeaknesses

– Be creativeBe creative OpportunitiesOpportunities ThreatsThreats

– Be proactiveBe proactive

NOTE!NOTE!

Asset Mapping and SWOT Asset Mapping and SWOT Analysis procedures are very Analysis procedures are very complex!complex!

These take many meetings over a These take many meetings over a series of months/years to series of months/years to develop.develop.

Experienced, trained facilitators Experienced, trained facilitators are required.are required.

Planning Planning ConsiderationsConsiderations Balance with surrounding area Balance with surrounding area Community InvolvementCommunity Involvement Educational ProgrammingEducational Programming Funding for developmentFunding for development Health regulationsHealth regulations InterpretationInterpretation

Planning Planning ConsiderationsConsiderations

Liability/ safetyLiability/ safety MarketingMarketing Staff/ skillsStaff/ skills TaxTax Visitor/ site-readinessVisitor/ site-readiness ZoningZoning

NetworkNetwork

Network in your community/regionNetwork in your community/region Support local business effortsSupport local business efforts Cross promote with other trailsCross promote with other trails Keep the Keep the

tourism/economic/municipal officers tourism/economic/municipal officers and extension personnel informed and extension personnel informed about your businessabout your business

Support your communitySupport your community

StrategyStrategy

Develop a comprehensive, Develop a comprehensive, dynamic plandynamic plan

Set goals that areSet goals that are– MeasurableMeasurable– SpecificSpecific– AttainableAttainable

Determine responsibilitiesDetermine responsibilities

TimelineTimeline

Make it RealisticMake it Realistic Make it FluidMake it Fluid Have Specific MilestonesHave Specific Milestones

Memorandum of Memorandum of UnderstandingUnderstanding Determination of which agencies Determination of which agencies

will be responsible for what will be responsible for what action.action.

It is not legally binding, but rather It is not legally binding, but rather serves as clarification.serves as clarification.

The signing should be a ceremony The signing should be a ceremony or event. or event.

VolunteersVolunteers

It takes a great deal of effort to It takes a great deal of effort to coordinate volunteers and keep coordinate volunteers and keep momentummomentum

Recruit themRecruit them Manage them Manage them Nurture themNurture them Remember they are not paid!Remember they are not paid!

Start the ProcessStart the Process

Small stepsSmall steps Attainable goalsAttainable goals Maintain momentumMaintain momentum Publicize/Praise effortsPublicize/Praise efforts Celebrate eventsCelebrate events

What is the very, very last phase What is the very, very last phase in the paddle trail development in the paddle trail development process??process??

Actually building the trail!Actually building the trail!

The efforts can be The efforts can be worthwhile:worthwhile:

Michigan Heritage Water TrailsMichigan Heritage Water Trails

Contact InformationContact Information

Eric N CaldwellEric N CaldwellCounty Extension DirectorCounty Extension DirectorTransylvania CountyTransylvania Countyeric_caldwell@ncsu.edueric_caldwell@ncsu.eduPhone: (828) 884-3109Phone: (828) 884-3109Fax: (828) 884-3142Fax: (828) 884-3142Mail Address:Mail Address:203 E Morgan St203 E Morgan StBrevard, NC   28712Brevard, NC   28712

ReferencesReferences

http://http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/resource/scorp/scorp_int.pdfils.unc.edu/parkproject/resource/scorp/scorp_int.pdf

http://pprc.umsl.edu/base_pages/cnd/toolkit/05c.htmhttp://pprc.umsl.edu/base_pages/cnd/toolkit/05c.htm http://www.commerce.state.nc.us/tourism/http://www.commerce.state.nc.us/tourism/ http://www.wmich.edu/glcms/watertrails/http://www.wmich.edu/glcms/watertrails/ http://www.palmetto-bluff.com/default.asphttp://www.palmetto-bluff.com/default.asp http://www.nps.gov/phso/rtcatoolbox/http://www.nps.gov/phso/rtcatoolbox/