A view in Wheatland’s Canawaugus Park. Photo courtesy of Village of Scottsville website
Wheatland was one of several communities receiving grants from Parks & Trails New York last month in support of communities participating in the Genesee Valley Trail Town Initiative.
The Genesee Valley Trail Town Initiative consists of 10 towns in the Genesee Valley dedicated to creating a positive collective impact on the region by improving awareness of our outdoor recreation assets and local businesses. This effort leverages the growing interest in geo-tourism. Letchworth State Park receives almost 1 million visitors a year. This initiative aims to let them know about all the other unique things to experience up and down the entire Genesee Valley. This model has been very successful in other areas of the country. A striking example nearby is the Greater Allegheny Passage. This rail to trail project recently added $121M in 2019 to the local, mostly rural, economies from Pittsburgh to Washington DC.
The 10 Genesee Valley Trail Town communities are: the towns of Caneadea, Cuba and Hume in Allegany County, the towns of Avon, Geneseo, Mount Morris, Nunda, and York in Livingston County, the towns of Wheatland in Monroe County, and the town of Perry in Wyoming County. The Genesee Valley Trail Town Grants are made possible by funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
Wheatland’s team was awarded $11,353. It will enable the Wheatland GVTTI team to complete projects such as the construction of a kiosk in Scottsville’s Canawaugus Park and one in Mumford’s Freeman Park, signage to let visitors know about local businesses on Main St., wayfinding signage, parking signs, crosswalk signage on Scottsville and Mumford’s Main Streets, historical interpretive signs, and a bike repair station and bike racks in Genesee Valley Greenway State Park
The Wheatland GVTTI team is made up of local citizens that represent their community. The team worked with Parks & Trails NY and Letchworth Gateway Villages in 2021 to define our local trail town opportunities. In March 2022, the team submitted an application for a $15,000 grant from PTNY. This effort was made possible by the support and matching funds from: The Greater Wheatland Area Chamber of Commerce ($1,000), The Village of Scottsville ($1,500), The Town of Wheatland ($1,500), The Wheatland Historical Association ($1,300) and the Genesee Country Village & Museum ($500). These partners collaborated on the application, with the Chamber as the lead agency.
