SAFORD, Arizona — Today, Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with Graham County and the Gila Watershed Partnership (GWP), is building a five-mile linear park and recreational trail adjacent to the Gila River.
A tributary of the Colorado River, the river flows just north of the neighboring rural communities of Safford and Thatcher. However, as much of the land on the river is privately owned, opportunities for recreational access for locals to enjoy the river are very limited. The creation of the River Trail allows residents and visitors of Stafford and Thatcher to feel connected to this unique landscape.
“The Gila River is a very important resource for this community and expanding access through this new linear park and trail will bring economic, ecological and recreational benefits to residents.” said Michael Patrick, Senior Project Manager, Trust for Public Land. “We are very excited to have worked with Graham County, GWP, and the private landowners who made this project possible and can’t wait to see residents and visitors enjoy the river and this trail.” No. The five private landowners who donated the easements on these paths have made invaluable contributions to these communities for generations.”
The space not only allows hiking, running, biking and horseback riding, but also provides opportunities for economic development through ecotourism and creates profitable public use of the river’s floodplain. Having both paved and soft surfaces and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant multi-purpose walkway also ensures equitable access to this space.
“The Gila Watershed Partnership is proud to partner with the Linear Park project, and accessibility is at the core of our support,” said Dr. Sarah Sayles, GWP Executive Director. She is “thrilled to promote the trail as a community-accessible project and promote ecotourism in the region.”
The easement on the trail has been subsidized by the TPL and is owned by five private landowners (Freeport McMoran, River View Properties, Langley Properties, Gwen DeMott, Brian and Don Smith) who own land along the south side of the river to Graham. donated to the county. The River Trail traverses two miles of land owned by Graham County and the City of Safford, plus three miles of private land owned by those owners. This first trail follows State Route 70 north along the canal to the river along the Graveyard Wash, then west along the river south to Route 20.th Avenue (just north of Thatcher town limits).
Graham County plans to own and manage recreational trails, and partners are seeking public grants and charitable donations for the construction of trails expected to be completed within the next two years. The partners are considering future projects to extend the River Trail west to He Reay Lane and south over the national highway to connect to the existing trail network.
“We would like to thank the landowners for providing the trail easements for this project. This trail segment is a significant extension of the existing trail system between Safford and Thatcher,” said Graham. said Danny Smith, chairman of the County Board of Supervisors. “We would like to acknowledge the funding of important early projects from the Graham County Community Investment Fund of Freeport McMorran, the William and Flora Hewlett-Packard Foundation, the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, and the City of Safford and Graham County Construction. We expect most of the funding to come from outside the Gila Valley to provide the amenities of the area.”
The Gila River has long been a cultural and ecological resource for the region, providing much-needed water for Native American and Anglo communities and driving an agricultural economy.
In 2020, TPL will work with GWP, Graham County, the City of Safford and the Town of Thatcher to develop a conceptual master plan for a linear park and trail system and identify the benefits such recreational facilities bring to the community. Did. The partners hope that this trail will be completed in the future according to this plan. The plan was developed by acclaimed landscape architect firm McGann & Associates following a series of community meetings to obtain input from the public, local communities and other stakeholders.
About the Public Land Trust
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national non-profit organization working to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public lands where parks are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3 million acres of public land, created more than 5,000 parks, trails, schoolyards and iconic outdoor places, and raised $84 billion for public parks and public lands. Raise funds and bring over 9 million people outdoors. For more information, please visit the following URL: tpl.org.
