- Details
- Category: Current Issue
7 towns
to promote
regional asset,
Air Line Trail
The Town of Thompson recently took the lead in a regional partnership of seven towns to promote the Air Line State Park Trail. Encompassing roughly 80 miles of trails in two states, crossing 12 Connecticut towns from the northern-most point in Thompson to its southern terminus in Portland, the Trail also continues into Massachusetts under the name “Southern New England Trunkline Trail.”
The seven partner towns received match funding from the Eastern Region Tourism District to produce a series of attractive, durable, fold-down map-brochures (z-cards), promoting the many recreation opportunities within the participating communities along the trail. All of the design work has been completed, and each of the partner towns has received their supply.
Each of the towns the Air Line Trail crosses has a distinct character, from very rural communities with strong agritourism attractions to those with busier downtowns featuring breweries, antiques shops and restaurants. The towns that came together to create the new tourism maps are Thompson, Putnam, Pomfret, Hampton, Windham, Columbia and Portland. Agriculture and conservation advocacy non-profit CT Resource Conservation & Development Area also acted in partnership, as the leaders of the overarching program to develop and promote the entire Air Line Trail.
Look for copies of the maps at local Town offices and other select locations throughout the region. For each partner, a version of the z-card was created to promote the unique tourist attractions, restaurants and outdoor recreation activities within that town, from Fort Hill Farms in Thompson; to the Goodwin Forest in Hampton; to Brownstone Quarries National Historic Site in Portland. QR codes will also take visitors to linked pages featuring local restaurants, breweries, museums, events calendars and more.
Jim Bellano, director of Economic Development for participating town Windham, said: “What makes this Z-card project so exciting is that the Air Line Trail is, in the truest sense, a regional asset. The map allows us to showcase the length and breadth of the trail while still providing the opportunity to highlight the individual assets of each town.”
For more information, or to request copies of the z-maps:
Thompson: Tyra Penn, Director of Planning & Development: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 860-923-9475 x130; Putnam: Delpha Very, Director, Putnam Redevelopment Agency: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 860-963-6834; Pomfret: Maureen Nicholson, First Selectman: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 860-974-0191; Windham: Jim Bellano, Director of Economic Development: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 860-465-3062; Portland: Mary Dickerson, Development Planner: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 860-342-6727; Air Line Trail Master Plan/CT RC&D: Jeanne Davies, Executive Director: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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