The Cumberland Island National Seashore could receive up to $75,000 as part of a new initiative called "Every Trail Connects."
You can help bring those dollars to Georgia.
The Cumberland Island Trail Restoration Project is one of 10 trail project nationwide to receive major funding through this initiative by REI, one of the leading outdoor retailers.
Here’s how it works:
Funding is allocated though a public voting contest. REI will give away $500,000 overall, up to $75,000 per trail. There is one vote per person, per day, per device with REI contributing $5 per vote. There is no purchase necessary or no email required. Month-long voting for Every Trail Connects launches on Friday at www.rei.com/trails.
Cumberland Island National Seashore is managed by the National Park Service. The park service, the Georgia Conservancy and REI chose the Cumberland Island Trail Restoration Project because of its importance as a designated wilderness and a biosphere to a number of species. Some visitors have reported it's hard to have navigate the backcountry trails and report getting lost, thus necessitating a large scale restoration project to improve access .
The goal is to have the entire trail system open, clear and easily navigable by October 2016, according to Bryan Schroeder, senior director of stewardship and outreach for the Georgia Conservancy. As many as 60,000 people visit the Visitors Center in St. Marys and visits to the island.
“This is really a legacy achievement for the Georgia Conservancy,” he said. He also said the money will be used to help publish the first backcountry map that will include GPS points, trail description, habitat mapping and historic features. Cumberland Island has about 50 miles of trails.
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