Sheepskin Trail may be left up to NRHC
The Fayette County commissioners will consider allowing the National Road Heritage Corridor to manage the construction and completion of the Sheepskin Trail on behalf of the county. The commissioners unanimously agreed on Tuesday to place the proposal from National Road on the agenda for tomorrow’s regular meeting.
National Road executive director Donna Holdorf said the organization would oversee ongoing work on the trail at no cost to the county and oversee construction of the uncompleted part of the trail for 2 percent of any money National Road secures for the project. National Road would receive up to $50,000 for its services, she said.
Two miles of the trail from the Great Allegheny Passage trail in Connellsville to the Wheeler Bottom area of Dunbar Township have been completed and work has started to extend the trail to the Shady Grove area in North Union Township.
From there, the trail would go through Uniontown and continue to Point Marion where it would be connected to a trail in West Virginia.
Holdorf said the National Road would seek public and private grant money for right-of-way acquisition and to complete the trail.
She said a previously selected route for the trail has to be studied to determine if it is cost effective.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which has provided grants for the project, has a strong interest in seeing the trail finished, Holdorf said.
“The trail is very important for Fayette County and tourism,” said Commissioner Vincent Vicites.
Officials in Dunbar Township want the trail extended to Uniontown and Point Marion could reap the same benefits from the trail as Connellsville does from the Great Allegheny Passage, Vicites said.
A significant amount of money is needed to finish the trail, he said, adding that the state Department of Transportation has earmarked $1.2 million for the project in its 12-year funding plan.
He said some old railroad bridges in the proposed right of way were removed when the rail lines were closed and they would have to be replaced to accommodate the trail.
“That will be a costly endeavor,” Holdorf said after the meeting.