After 35 years of working together, the boards of the Mad River Riders and the Mad River Path are exploring how to further collaborate and enhance their working relationship.
Representatives of the Mad River Riders and Mad River Path boards met on November 3 at the Mad River Valley Welcome Center, Waitsfield, to discuss furthering collaboration between the two organizations.
Mad River Riders and Mad River Path have been working together throughout their 35-year history, but their partnership accelerated in the last few years. Together in 2020 and 2021, the two organizations designed, built, and installed more than 40 trailhead kiosks highlighting the local interconnected trail network and welcoming people to explore. After collaborating on a winning proposal for a VOREC grant, the organizations, with the help of multiple community partners, built a 200-foot bridge over the Mill Brook, expanded trailhead parking, constructed a composting toilet, and teamed with landowners to preserve public access and improve the path into Waitsfield Village.
“The Riders led some of those projects, and the Path took charge of others, but always they worked together. The Conservation and Recreation Visioning (CRV) project, born from the same VOREC grant, led to the path and the riders working closely with conservation groups to improve outdoor recreation opportunities and protect and preserve wildlife habitat. The path led the effort to bring the Mad River Triathlon back to life with the Riders, Friends of the Mad River, and the MRV Backcountry Coalition pitching in,” said Mad River Path executive director Misha Golfman.
The latest path-led project is to connect Warren and Middlesex, with a shared-use path, intersecting with the Cross Vermont Trail and bringing the Velomont off-road bike corridor through The Valley to the Mad River Recreation Hub, linking The Valley to its neighbors to the south and the north.
“Working together with the Friends of the Mad River, both organizations are in the midst of developing the Attitude of Gratitude Recreational Ethics project,” Golfman said.
At the November 3 meeting, the board members acknowledged their shared vision for a world-class trail system with links to schools, villages, and businesses.
“Both groups work toward a welcoming valley, where people of all backgrounds and abilities can enjoy healthy recreation, immerse themselves in nature, make friends, and build community. Likewise, both groups believe that the sustainable future of the MRV lies in the thoughtful and intentional growth of the four-season recreational economy,” Golfman reported.
The organizations agreed on a set of steps to explore further collaboration, including learning more about each other’s finances and engaging a professional consultant to facilitate further dialogue.
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