The completed Mountain Goat Trail could bring more than $1.2 million in annual economic benefits to the area, according to a report issued Nov. 20. The economic impact analysis was written by students who are part of the Babson Center for Global Commerce at Sewanee. The trail, when completed, will connect Cowan to Palmer.
“All the stakeholders connected with the Mountain Goat Trail—elected officials, business owners and private citizens—have always believed that the trail would bring economic as well as health benefits to the Mountain. Now, thanks to the Babson Center and the University of the South, we have research to support that belief,” said Janice Thomas, board president of the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance.
The report was prepared by the Babson Center’s class of 2015 Carey Fellows. Data used in the report included studies of other rail-to-trail projects, local demographic statistics and statistically relevant formulas for calculating effects of tourism on a local economy.
“The Mountain Goat Trail offers unique opportunities to connect communities, as well as attract tourists from across the Southeast. The construction of the trail also benefits the local communities in many ways, ranging from offering a habitat for better outdoor education for local schools to offering community members a place to exercise,” the report stated.
The Mountain Goat Trail is a rail-to-trail community outdoor recreation project to convert the abandoned Mountain Goat railroad right-of-way into a multi-use recreational corridor connecting Grundy, Marion, and Franklin counties. Donations to the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance are tax-deductible. For more information, go to <www.mountaingoattrail.org>.
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