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According to the Wood County Alternative Transportation Council (WCATC), The Ohio River Water Trail in Parkersburg has been designated a National Recreation Trail-National Water Trail by U.S. Secretary of The Interior, David L. Bernhardt. The 57.7-mile trail is managed jointly by the Wood County Alternative Transportation Council and the Greater Parkersburg CVB on behalf of the Wood County Commission and provides accessible recreation opportunities for residents and visitors to Parkersburg with 13 river access points, parking and boat ramps, half of which are accessible for people with disabilities.
The announcement by Secretary Bernhardt named 30 new national recreation trails in 25 states adding more than 1,275 miles to the National Trails System. "American Trails promotes and maintains the database of our country's National Recreation Trails (NRT) and applauds this new slate of Secretarial designations from the Department of the Interior," said NRT Executive Director Mike Passo.
"The designation will further increase the profile of the Ohio River Water trail and will aid in our efforts to market the trail to paddlers from our region and tourists planning a visit", said Mark Lewis, President and CEO of the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Lloyd Roberts and the WCATC worked with the Greater Parkersburg CVB to establish the trail. The two groups recently facilitated a joint effort by the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge and the City of Vienna to apply for grant funding to construct a non-motorized watercraft launching site at Spenser's Landing in Vienna. Randy Rapp, Mayor of Vienna commented, "I am excited about the possibility of a kayak launch at Spenser's Landing. It will add a completely new recreation opportunity in Vienna that will appeal to all ages."
Also included in ORINWR's grant application is funding for a separate non-motorized watercraft launching area at the Williamstown Boat Ramp. Vic Elam, Refuge Manager for Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, stated.