11 Texas Parks and Wildlife Recreational Trails Grant

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Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Grant Application for Texas Recreational Trails Fund 6. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT Please provide a clear and concise description of the proposed project in the space below. inciude a description of the trail length, width, surfacing, and configuration (loop, linear, network); trailhead and trailside amenities. Detail all work to be performed; any right-of-way or easements to be acquired; the relationship between project and any other work planned or existing; partnerships and/or community involvement; and educationallinterpretive aspects of the project. (Limit to 1 page). This project will provide the gateway to link the Trail de Paris to central and west Paris and 5,681 additional residents. Currently, the gently curved Trail de Paris cuts a 24 mile linear recreational ribbon under a beautiful living canopy of trees through southeast Paris. It is well utilized and the first bicyclelpedestrian trail in Paris and Lamar County. The trail's west end at 12th S.E. St. will be extended another 0.29 miles to 8th S.E. St. In 19xx, the City of Paris (COP) removed a deteriorated railroad bridge and redirected the curved flood control drainage system creating two void areas across this project's 100' wide abandoned corridor. The bridge void will be filled with culverts, riprap, and fill dirt. The flood control waterway will be spanned via an iron truss bridge that will be donated to the project by the Lamar County Historical Commission. It will require relocation to the project site, planking deck with treated lumber, installing safety handrails, and constructing bridge abutments/footings. The trail portion wili require clearing brush and removing 400 ft. of in place rails and ties, rough grading just enough corridor width to fill and lay a 12' wide all weather asphalt trail with 2' crushed granite shoulders. It will be handicap accessible. Benches, bike racks, safety bollards, regulatory signage, traffic calming, and trash receptacles will be placed at strategic locations. The Greater Paris Development Foundation (GPDF) has the rail-banked deed to the land on which this extension will be constructed. Upon completion, GPDF will grant to the COP a 99-year lease of this tand for $1.00. Leadership Lamar County (LLC) 2003l04 class entered into a partnership with GPDF, area civic clubs and organizations, businesses, corporations, foundations, churches, and residents to build the city's/county's 1S` off-road pedestrian/ bicycle trail, the Trail de Paris. These partnerships responded by donating $675,000 in materials, equipment, and labor and $125,000 in cash over an 18-month period. The Trail was completed 2005 and donated to the COP to maintain. GPDF gave the City a 99-year lease to the property for $1.00. Visit www traildeparis. or4 for details. On March 31,2008 the southern trail extension was completed. It connects to the Paris Sports Complex, Love Civic Center and Dragon Park. The funding partners were Kimberly Clark, COP, Lamar County /Chamber of Commerce, Archery Society of America, and "Friends of the Trail". Supporters of the Trail de Paris are currently working to extend the trail east to the limits of the COP. This was made possible through funding partnerships with TPWD Recreational Trails Grant, 3 local foundation grants, and in kind donations from two local engineering firms. Area naturalists have identified and designated plant species and sowed bluebonnet seeds along the trail. A local elementary school class has chosen to research, develop and plant a humming T~eb we ely garden next to the trail as part of a statewide competition in the "Civic Pride" category. Y awarded 1 Sl place. "Friends of the Trail" help the COP maintain the trail. They have partnered with Paris Independent School District to create a"Safe Route to School" master plan via the TxDOT SRTS Grant Program. It will use the Trail de Paris trail system as the main artery for its infrastructure route to the schools. In December of 2007 they posed a trail beautification plan to and received funding from "Keep Paris Beautiful" and planted 136 crepe myrtles of a variety of colors and kinds to beautify the trail's Paris Junior College corridor. A continuing partnership exists with GPDF to obtain funding to convert the remaining 30 miles of its rail-banked corridor eastward to Clarksville. 2 ~ '7