When the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association began in the early 90s, people were hesitant to support creating hiking and biking trails.
"The public appreciation and the public vision of trails has really changed in those 20 years, from being ... not in my backyard to why not in my backyard," said Richard Cochrane, treasurer of the association.
The association is developing another segment of the Delaware and Lehigh Trail (D&L) in Luzerne County. The public is invited to learn more about the new section at a public meeting on Thursday, March 20, at Earth Conservancy's Headquarters in Ashley.
Construction on the Oliver Mills, in the Laurel Run Borough, to Mountain Top segment is expected this year.
"It'll just add five more miles for people who live in Mountain Top and Fairview Township and in that part of the county to get out and enjoy outdoor recreation," said Cochrane.
The association owns the section, as well as the Back Mountain Trail and the Black Diamond Trail. The latter is also part of the D&L.
Segments of the D&L are owned by trail groups or the municipalities the trails are in, said Cochrane.
“The DNL is kind of a unifying administrative organization," he said.
The new segment is on the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. People walk and bike on it currently. The project will regrade and put in a new trail surface. A trailhead will be placed on Lehigh Street near the Mountain Top Hose Company.
Cochrane called the segment a "dead-end trail" — for now, it could connect to the rest of the D&L in the future.
The association is using state and federal funds for the project. The meeting on Thursday is a requirement for that funding.
"It's more of a planned presentation with an opportunity to ask questions,” he said.
The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Earth Conservancy office, 101 South Main St., Ashley.
The public can comment on the project until April 18.
For more details, visit https://anthracitescenictrails.org.
