Talbot Co. Group Working on Trail Project

(EASTON, Md) – A large scale plan for walking trails stretching from Easton is in the works thanks to local organizations.

Local nonprofit Talbot Thrive is working towards the early stages of a massive project: The development of a series of walking trails designed to connect with the Maryland Eastern Shore Trail Network (MESTN).

“It’s important that we look to places to connect with other trails and so more people can use trails for transportation or recreation. But we see it as important to the health and welfare of the community as a whole…” says Talbot Thrive Executive Director, Heather Grant.

Talbot Thrive, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the Eastern Shore Trail Network say they’ve already been in touch with Easton leadership about creating this walking trail project. With the goal of further enticing the 7 million people who visit the Eastern Shore annually.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy Director of Land Use and Policy & MESTN Vice Chair, Owen Bailey tells WMDT, “And we thought it would be a good idea to organize our towns and counties to get them excited about trails and get them thinking about what connections they should have in their communities.”

For a project this large, it’s going to take more than a vision and collaborating with the Town of Easton. Talbot Thrive and the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy know they’re going to need to drum up support from the community.

“Trails can be a quite a scary idea for communities that have not had them before. And we want to make sure that their voices are heard at the table early on the process before they hear about it at a planning commission meeting or a county council meeting,” says Bailey.

And while the trails are in the planning stages, they’re hoping these early efforts now will have more people visiting the Eastern Shore to trek those larger trails.

The MESTN says only about 9%t of the state’s walking paths are on the Eastern Shore.