The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance (MGTA) and the Land Trust for Tennessee (LTTN) announced on Jan. 8 the successful completion of a capital campaign. As a result, 22 acres of the former Mountain Goat Railroad bed between Monteagle and Tracy City are now owned by the MGTA.
“The acquisition of this important section of railroad bed puts us closer to our ultimate goal: a multi-use path from Cowan to Palmer. We are so grateful to the Land Trust for Tennessee for collaborating with us on this effort,” said Janice Thomas, board president of the MGTA.
“The Mountain Goat Trail is an excellent economic development opportunity for the South Cumberland region,” said Jeanie Nelson, executive director of LTTN. “It also connects several amazing cultural and natural resources that are so important to the area.”
The acquired property constitutes approximately 60 percent of the rail bed between Monteagle and Tracy City. When constructed, the trail between Monteagle and Tracy City will be approximately 5.6 miles long. Construction is due to begin this year on a three-mile section between Sewanee and Monteagle as well as two one-mile sections between Tracy City and Palmer.
The campaign raised more than $83,000 to acquire the property. Challenge gifts from the Cammack Family Foundation and Doug Ferris were instrumental in reaching the campaign goal.
A recent study by Sewanee’s Babson Center for Global Commerce predicts the trail will add $1.2 million in annual revenue to the economy of the South Cumberland Plateau. The supporting data includes studies of other rail-trail projects, local demographic statistics and formulas for calculating effects of tourism on a local economy. “The construction of the trail 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 concluded.
The Mountain Goat Trail is a rail-to-trail community outdoor recreation project to convert an abandoned railroad right-of-way into a multi-use recreational corridor between Grundy and Franklin Counties on the Cumberland Plateau. For more information visit <www.mountaingoattrail.org>.
The Land Trust for Tennessee is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, founded in 1999. Its mission is to preserve the unique character of Tennessee’s natural and historic landscapes for future generations. To date, The Land Trust for Tennessee has protected more than 91,000 acres statewide. For more information go to <www.landtrusttn.org>.
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