The document discusses the Bluegrass Trails & Greenways Summit held in 2016, focusing on the economic development potential of trail systems in eastern Kentucky as part of sustainable tourism and community enrichment. It identifies the challenges faced by the region, including historical economic issues, and emphasizes the importance of integrating cultural and natural assets to enhance local tourism. The analysis presents successful case studies and outlines strategies for promoting entrepreneurship and improving community well-being through adventure tourism and trail development.

1. Bluegrass Trails & Greenways Summit, 2016
August 19, 2016
Lancaster Grand Theatre,
117 Lancaster Ave.
Lancaster KY 40444
Berea and Madison County Trails
Initiative
Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College

2. I am reporting on our work to execute the
Eastern Kentucky Vision….
…be recognized as one of the great destinations with a celebration of
authentic Appalachian heritage and life; innovative and quality trail systems;
world‐class adventure recreation venues; authentic frontier culture and art
amenities; a rich blend of retail, local restaurants, accommodations and
businesses supporting sustainable tourism economy; and special event
activities – all in a setting of rugged Appalachia that offers both active and
passive recreation.

3. Fall 2012 EPG was asked to serve as a group to
trial‐run the proposed Livingston KY bike trails

4. Appalachian Community Economic Development Model
Traditional ED Strategy / Tool
Alternative ED Strategy / Tool
CD Capacity Building Strategy / Tool
Economic
Development
Approaches
Economic
Outcomes
Other
Outcomes
Direct, Short‐term
Indirect, Long‐term
• Industrial development
• Business retention / expansion
• Workforce development
• Tourism
• Entrepreneurship
• Downtown development
• Arts / Creative economy
• Cluster‐based development
• Residential development
• Transportation
• Broadband / Internet / Social Media
• ED finance
• Philanthropy
• Strategic planning
• Leadership development
• Organizational development
1. Recruit firms from the
outside
2. Strengthen/expand
existing firms
3. Promote development of
new firms
• jobs
• firms
• prosperity
• wealth
• social
• environmental
• civic

5. Appalachian Community Economic Development Model
Traditional ED Strategy / Tool
Alternative ED Strategy / Tool
CD Capacity Building Strategy / Tool
Economic
Development
Approaches
Economic
Outcomes
Other
Outcomes
Direct, Short‐term
Indirect, Long‐term
• Industrial development
• Business retention / expansion
• Workforce development
• Tourism
• Entrepreneurship
• Downtown development
• Arts / Creative economy
• Cluster‐based development
• Residential development
• Transportation
• Broadband / Internet / Social Media
• ED finance
• Philanthropy
• Strategic planning
• Leadership development
• Organizational development
1. Recruit firms from the
outside
2. Strengthen/expand
existing firms
3. Promote development of
new firms
• jobs
• firms
• prosperity
• wealth
• social
• environmental
• civic

7. THE CHALLENGE: DESIGN AN EXPERIENCE THAT
COULD ADD TO THE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Source: 2007 Comprehensive Eastern Kentucky Adventure Tourism Plan, Dallas TX,
Pro Consulting
Drive Time Analysis
150,000
visits
1,000 full
time jobs
$75 million
new
revenuejobs

8. Hidden are “old Appalachian problems” persistent
over the last 100 years ‐ an inadequate tax base, a
low‐wage economy, environmental abuse, civic
fraud, political corruption, absentee
landownership, and corporate irresponsibility.
These weaken the region and limit resident lives.
The loss of traditional values and culture,
moreover, threatened to destroy those things that
had made the region distinct.

9. Where we do our
work for 8 years
Berea Kentucky

10. New emerging Adventure Tourism industry in Central Appalachia.

11. problems persistent over the last 100 years ‐ an
inadequate tax base, a low‐wage economy,
environmental abuse, civic fraud, political
corruption, absentee landownership, and
corporate irresponsibility.
Central Appalachia

13. Small Rural Town Program
Rural Populations
1,602
357
175
1,764
747
1,081

14. Western North Carolina Results
Western North Carolina Results
Facades Redone
Buildings Renovations
Net Increase in
Businesses
Volunteers Hours
$ Raised Locally
Private / Public
Investment
69
103
51
103,641
$ 182,000
$ 13.9M

16. Significant historical assets

17. Recognizing Opportunities
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good. Cohort12. Elizabeth Heller. “Personal Observations. Berea, KY. 1 July, 2015.
11/29/2018 Summer 2015 Elizabeth Heller

18. Team Photo; Buckhorn Lake State Resort. June 25, 2015
Mapping Cultural Assets at Buckhorn Lake State Resort

20. Solving problems for other people creates
opportunities for you

21. Entrepreneurship is taught outside the building

22. We capture insights from customer discovery
interviews

23. We turn customer discovery interviews into
personas

24. Small Business Using Social Media in
North Carolina
The Blue Ridge Soap Shed

25. Mapping Hospitality Assets in Lee County

26. problems persistent over the last 100 years ‐ an
inadequate tax base, a low‐wage economy,
environmental abuse, civic fraud, political
corruption, absentee landownership, and
corporate irresponsibility.
Central Appalachia 1
2
3
4
5
6

27. Some Central Appalachia outdoor trails have become
significant tourism destinations.

28. Canoeing and kayaking
Andrea Dowlen, Insights & Interpretations, July 1, 2015

29. EPG students experience rock climbing at Torrent
Falls in Wolfe County, KY
Zip‐lining, hiking, and rock climbing

30. TransAmerican Bike Trail South

31. TransAmerica Trail, through Berea
and Eastern Kentucky

32. TransAmerican Cyclists intercepted at BC&T

33. Dr. Hackbert Conversing with Transamerica Cyclist Matt Krajewski.

36. Hindman Kentucky Cultural Assets
7/2/2015 My EPG experience Adriana Williams

37. November 29, 2018 EPG Cohort 12 Final Portfolio by Minashsha Zareel Lamisa 37
EPG Cohort 12 Members with TransAmerican Trail Bikers “The Renegades”, from US, and Sebastien and Wouter, from Belgium. 3 June 2015.
Selfie with the European TransAmerican Cyclists .

38. 73 Traveler and Adventure Tourist Personas
on How to spend 36 hours in the region

39. TOvernight Bikers $150.93 per day

40. Day Bikers $43.81 per day

41. Overnight Hikers $148.89 per day

42. Day Hikers $60.26 per day

43. Women “only” tours spend $421 per day

44. Retired or mixed cycling clubs spend $325 per day

45. Abingdon, VA

46. EPG students as adventure tourists on the
Virginia Creeper Trail
Abingdon/Damascus Case Study

47. City Revenues 1978:
$90,350

48. City Revenues 2016:
$1,177,600

49. ⅓ re red
3 hours

51. $337 per day

52. $735 per trip

53. Abingdon is similar to Berea
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Trailblazers “Personal
Observations.” ,Abingdon, VA. Jun 2015.

54. Most Significant Event

55. Most Significant Event: Meeting with Virginia
Creeper Trail Bike Shuttle & Rental Owner

56. Most Significant Event
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Guinevere Beirne “Personal Observations.”
Damascus, Va. May 2015.
Most Significant Event: Meeting with
Damascus Small Business Owners

57. Opportunity
Most Significant Event: Meeting with Small
Business Owners

58. How did we test these assumptions?Most Significant Event: Meeting with Kentucky Trail
Town Small Business Owners

59. Judge Executive Sizemore of Leslie County signs
Buckhorns Trail Town Application Letter

60. Tawny Hogg and John Epperson lead Perry County’s
Trail Town Task Force

61. Mayor Pat Wooten of Buckhorn signs
Trail Town letter

62. EPG students meeting with Owsley County
Executive Judge

63. Whitesburg, Letcher County

64. EPG students listen to Shad Baker, UK Extension Agent
in Letcher County, a catalyst of the Whitesburg Trail
Town
EPG students listen to Shad Baker,
UK Extension Agent in Letcher County, a
catalyst of the Whitesburg Trail Town

65. Students must develop a compelling case

66. Summary of Observation Labs
of Berea / Madison County
Small Businesses

67. Old Alvarado Station

68. Tater Knob Pottery

69. Gilliam Gallery & Studio

70. Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking

71. Warren May

72. Kentucky Artisan Center

73. TransAmerica Bike Trail
TransAmerica Bike Trail
Bluegrass Bike Trail
Boone Trace
Trail

74. Boone Trace Markers – Berea to Richmond

75. Appalachian Knowledge

78. Identifying our routes, trails and loops.

79. EPG meets with the Executive Judge Kent Clark – May
16, 2015

81. Pitching the Merchants to Raise their hands
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good. Cohort12. Elizabeth Heller. “Personal Observations. Berea, KY. 1 July, 2015.
11/29/2018 Summer 2015 Elizabeth Heller

82. Pictured in the photo (From Left to right) At the table. Dr. Louisa Summers (EKU), Paul Wright (MACED), Joan Beck, V. Kathy Hamblin, (Madison County Berea Branch
Services Supervisor), Adam Walker (owner of BC&T), Lou Deluca (Rotary Club) In the back row:
Far left (Clara Ruplinger,(EPG student), Ishwar Agarwal (EPG student), Harry M. Tsiagbe (EPG Student), Glen Dandeneau (Berea College Forest Service),
Peter Hackbert (Director of the EPG Program), John Payne (Madison County Berea Branch Youth Services Assistant),
City of Berea Trail Town Committee Merchants’ Committee: “raising hands to volunteer
to serve” on the Merchant’s, Volunteer and Signage Committees, May 21, 2015

84. Trial Run September 15, 2015

86. Trail Town Certification December 11, 2015

87. 4 Worksheet A ‐ Usage of Trail by Month and User Worksheet
ESTIMATED # of YEARLY USERS
TRAIL SYSTEMS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
Cyclist Trails and Loops
1 TransAmercan Bike Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 3,000
2 Peytontown Loop Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 1,500
3 Red Lick Valley Artisan Loop Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 1,000
4 African American Heritage Loop Trail
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 300
5 Anglin Fall Bike Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 400
6 Indian Fort Bike Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 1,300
7 County Stores Trail ‐
8 Martins Trail ‐
9 BeeBee White Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 4,500
10 Mayde‐Menelaus Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 1,000
11 Peggy Flats 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 600
12 Lackey Airport Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 500
13 County Airport ‐ John Ballard Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 500
14 Hagen's Mill Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 500
15 KY 21 Moran Summit Loop
1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 300
16 Paint Lick Trail
1 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 250
17 Poosey Ridge /KY River Trail
1 2 2 3 4 4 3 2 2 1 250
Hiking Trails
18 Boone Trace Trail 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 2 1 100
19 Central Kentucky Route 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 3 1 200
20 Indian Fort Hiking Trail 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 1 5,000
21 Ellipse Trail
1 1 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 7,000
22 Cross County Hiking Trails 1 1 2 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 2 1 2,000
23 Artisan Center Hiking Trails 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 3 3 2 1 1,000
24 City Park Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 2 1 6,000
Mountain Biking System
25 S‐Tree Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 2 1 300
26 Turkeyfoot Trail 1 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 2 1 300
Bike Hike Trail System
27 Indian Fort Bike Hike Trail 1 2 2 2 4 3 3 4 3 1 500
28 Anglin Falls Bike Hike Trail 1 2 2 2 4 3 3 4 3 1 500
Water Trails System
29 Silver Creek (seasonal) 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 100
30 Owsley Reservoir 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 2 1 300
Other Trail Systems
31 Bluegrass Bike Trail 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 100

89. Multi‐use Trail to Indian Fort
Indian Fort Trail Anglin Falls Trail
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good. Cohort12. Elizabeth Heller. “Personal Observations. Berea, KY. 1 July, 2015.
11/29/2018 Summer 2015 Elizabeth Heller

90. East Pinnacles Destination

91. West Pinnacles Destination

92. Devils Kitchen Destination

93. Every Berea / Madison County trail has
cultural asset descriptions

94. trail

96. Every Berea / Madison County trail has
cultural asset descriptions

98. Road Route to Anglin Falls
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good. Cohort12. Elizabeth Heller. “Personal Observations. Berea, KY. 1 July, 2015.
11/29/2018 Summer 2015 Elizabeth Heller

99. Anglin Falls Destination

100. Anglin Falls Destination

102. We could reframing recreational tourism as an
enabler of a healthy place‐making outcome not
just an economic tool for economic development

104. Reframing the local trail corridors
at healthy place‐making tool

105. Small businesses underwrite youth entry in
the USAT Splash and Dash

106. We plan to contribute to the cross Kentucky Master
Trail Plan

107. City of Berea Trail Town 2016‐17 Timeline
Trail Town
Certification
Trail Town
Committee
Formation
State Trail
Town
Application
Trail Town
Program
Feasibility
Revised Berea
Championship
Race Series
New Berea Endurance Event
Series
June ’14 Feb ‘15 Dec ‘15 June ‘16 Nov ‘16 Jan ’17 June ‘17

108. Findings: 10 Most critical factors that contribute to
success

109. 1. Unique features

110. 2. Accessibility to trail and attractions

111. 3. Role of Trail Town or Gateway Town

112. 4. Locations within a tourism destination

113. 5. Proximity to generating markets

114. 6. Cooperative arrangements

115. 7. Local support

116. 8. Technical factors (water stops, toilets, signage, food
outlets, accommodations)

117. 11/29/2018 117
9. A systematic professional marketing approach
with specialized skills

118. 10. Private enterprise is pivotal in co‐creating the
visitor experience

119. We ( ) and the City of Berea Trail Town Committee
believe that aligning cultural assets and natural
resources can increase:
1. The health and wellness of ALL Berea residents
2. The preservation and expand the cultural assets
that make Berea a “special place to live?”
3. Attracting out‐of‐towners to enjoy our heritage,
cultural assets and trail system provide both social
value and economic development.

120. Thank you