Matt Ford discusses breaking ground on ‘Phase III’ of Meadow River Trail

By Matthew Young, RealWV

RAINELLE, W.Va. – “For the trail to start really contributing some economic opportunities, this phase coming to the town is vital.”

That’s what Meadow River Rail Trail Project Manager Matt Ford said while speaking with RealWV on Friday, just hours after the ceremonial groundbreaking of the project’s third phase. Beginning at the future Rainelle Trailhead on Snake Island Road, phase three of the project is expected to extend the trail by an additional nine miles. 

On hand for the groundbreaking were commissioners from Greenbrier and Fayette Counties, legislative representatives, local elected officials, and other community leaders. Also in attendance were students from Meadow River Rail Trail Youth Advisory Council at Greenbrier West High School, who assisted with community outreach during the project’s planning stage. In addition, the Youth Advisory Council was instrumental in the construction of signage for the Meadow River Rail Trail project.

“The biggest surprise to me continues to be the willingness of people to collaborate,” Ford said. “We even have people who might have reason to be opposed (to the trail), and they’re at the table willing to talk. That’s the biggest surprise – that willingness to work together.”

“The whole Meadow River Rail Trail project is a collaboration, and it’s owned by the Fayette and Greenbrier County Commissions,” Ford continued. “This project has taken years to make happen. Kelly Banton with the Greenbrier County Commission mentioned today that there have been nine different county commissioners work on the Meadow River Trail project.”

“For this project to work between two different county commissions, and survive through election changes – this project has been strong enough to survive all that,” Ford added. “It’s that important, and people recognize it.”

Phase three, Ford explained, is the section which will connect the trail to the Town of Rainelle. Beyond that, Ford added, there will be more progress made on the project in the very near future. 

“We just found out yesterday that we received $100,000 to design a three-acre parking area and river access in Russellville,” Ford said. “And then the big push is going to be connecting the trail with the Gauley River National Recreation Area, so that you can start in Rainelle and go all the way to the National Park.”

Ford added that, “We’re looking at options to actually extend the park boundary from where it is now up to Route 19, and protect some rock climbing areas and white water access points.”

“That’s going to take a huge collaborative effort,” Ford noted.

Ford further noted that a “stakeholder workshop” was held Friday morning, to begin work on a “master plan” to achieve all of the goals of the project.

“Connecting the trail with the National Park, preserving history, working with property owners – all of those efforts that need to happen, they take every stakeholder working together,” Ford said. “That major effort really started this morning during the workshop before the groundbreaking.”

Ford added that approximately 60 people turned out for the workshop, including private property owners, representatives from the National Park Service and the Division of Highways, as well as local community foundations.

“We had representatives from the rock climbing and white water communities,” Ford added. “And we had economic development representatives. It was a good cross-section of the people that we needed to have there.”

As for the project’s overall reception within the community, Ford said it has been mostly positive. 

“We’re sensitive to (the situation),” Ford noted. “When you start talking about conservation of land that somebody else owns, that’s always a sensitive topic. But we make sure we’re coordinating with property owners and have an open dialogue.”

Phase three of the Meadow River Rail Trail project is being funded by a $2.3 million grant from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. In addition, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) has received $500,000 in funding from the EPA’s Brownfields program to clean the five-acre property containing the former Rainelle dump. The property is located between the Meadow River and the Rail Trail. 

“We plan to turn that into the Snake Island Recreation Area,” Ford added.