The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Born in Berks County
Proximity to open space and trails also increases the value of nearby real estate, Montgomery County's study found. It used the 12.6-mile Green Ribbon Trail in the eastern part of the county as a case study.
Stretching between Parkside Place in Upper Gwynedd Township and Stenton Avenue in Whitemarsh Township, the preserve and trail follow the Wissahickon Creek for its entire length.
“There are 2,646 houses located within a half mile mile of the Green Ribbon Preserve, and it is estimated that 13.5 percent of the property value of homes within a half-mile mile of the trail is attributable to the proximity of the trail and preserved open space,” the study reported. “This is higher than the county average of 2.95 percent. In other words, if the Green Ribbon Preserve and Trail were removed, the total assessment value of these homes would decrease by $87 million or $33,184 per house.”
The increased value “equates to an additional $2.83 million in total annual property taxes (or approximately $1,072 per property) generated for the municipalities and school districts. Additionally, the Wissahickon Creek and public trails located within the Green Ribbon Preserve are increasingly being used to market the area's real estate for its proximity to natural, green spaces,” according to the study. Just ask Sedina Miles. Miles lives in Douglassville
and is an area Realtor. Her daughter introduced her to the Pottstown trail section and she visits it regularly “to get in my 10,000 steps,” she said with a laugh.
“When I sell properties in the city, whenever I have a property near the river or the trail, it always sells for more, and much, much faster,” Miles said.
These are just some of the reasons, said Montgomery County Commissioners Chairwoman Val Arkoosh, “why Montgomery county has made investing in trail systems a top priority.”
The trail got its start in Berks County after the legislature enacted the Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers Act in 1972. “Reading-area twin brothers Ferdinand and Louis Thun, with the desire to reactivate their father's interest in land preservation and conservation, turned their attention to the Schuylkill River and surrounding region,” according to the history posted on the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area website.
“While Louis Thun took leadership in the formation of the Berks County Conservancy, now Berks Nature; Ferdinand and a small group of friends, including Victor Yarnell who was the Deputy Secretary of Commerce, began working toward a Scenic River designation for the Schuylkill. In 1974, the Schuylkill River Greenway Association was formed,” according to the history.
The Schuylkill River Greenway eventually evolved into the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area.
The PA Department of Environmental Resources, now known as the Department of Environmental Protection, financed a “Schuylkill River Study” and in 1978, the legislature designated the Schuylkill as Pennsylvania's first Scenic River.
“It was during these formative years that the development of the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) became one of the primary goals and projects of the SRGA. With the desire to build upon the already accomplished work of Philadelphia, Montgomery and Chester Counties, the SRGA began trail development in Berks County and later in Schuylkill County as well. To this day the Schuylkill river Trail is the greenway's signature project,” according to the history.
Conservation Ambassadors
Elaine Schaeffer, executive director of the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, knows that the value of the organization's “signature project” goes beyond enjoyment. The appreciation for nature and greenspace that it inevitably inspires often turns users into advocates.
Speaking to the crowd gathered in Pottstown Tuesday for the funding announcement, she repeated a line she happily admitted to stealing from Adams Dunn — “recreation is the gateway drug to conservation.”
One way to raise that awareness is the seven-year old “Montco Trails Challenge,” a particular favorite of Montgomery County Commissioners Vice Chairman Ken Lawrence.
The program “encourages participants to track their visits to select Montgomery County trails to earn awards for completing visits to five, 10, or 15 participating trails. In 2021, the Montco Trail Challenge saw more than 2,000 participants ranging in age from 2 months old to 80 years old. The program draws people from the surrounding region representing Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Chester, Philadelphia, and Delaware counties,” according to the county announcement.
A kickoff event for this year's Trail Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Trail Junction Center off the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown. The public is invited to attend this event to visit with area organizations and to receive a free children's bike helmet while supplies last! The event will also feature a pop-up StoryWalk® and a Farm Explorer truck and smoothie bike provided by Greener Partners. The Trail Junction Center is located at 75 E Lafayette St, Norristown, PA 19401. Parking is available at the SEPTA garage on Lafayette Street.
“Whether you are a lifelong resident or a first time visitor, we look forward to seeing you out on the trails,” said Lawrence.
“The 2021 Montco Trail Challenge survey showed that 92 percent of respondents visited a new park or trail, and 83 percent learned something new about their community.
The Trail Challenge also encouraged participants to get active, with 85 percent of survey takers said they walked more, 23 percent biked more, and 14 percent ran more. Overall, 82 percent of survey respondents said they improved their physical health, and 91 percent improved their mental health,” according to this year's announcement.
The idea is that people introduced to outdoor recreation, often become more and more aware of what it has to offer.
A walk on the trail leads to awareness of a boat ramp, or the availability of free bikes to borrow (both the case in Pottstown) and become more involved. That's what happened to Miles Tuesday.
When speaking to a reporter at Riverfront Park Tuesday, she was amazed to learn that with the completion of the section in Lower Pottsgrove will mean a person could ride a bike from Philadelphia to Reading. “That's phenomenal,” she said. Asked if she enjoyed being out on the river itself, she replied “I love kayaking.”
Lo and behold, she was shown the boat launch in Riverfront Park and taken to the soon-to-be opened Take it Outdoors canoe and kayak rental facility right across the parking lot from her car. “Are you kidding? I don't believe it,” she said. But seeing was believing.
The completion of the last section of trail in Montgomery County means more visitors, walkers, bikers, kayakers, and more. It also means, Schaeffer said with a chuckle, “we will be thrilled to be able stop picking up the phone and answering the question ‘when will all this be finished?'”
Of course, it's not quite finished, she conceded. “There's still 40 more miles to build.”