The mountain villages of USA have felt in a very deep way the effects of the pandemic, but even before that, these localities, old mining communities , had suffered the consequences of a declining industry and of the lack of visitors . To alleviate the effects of this isolation, the Connected Communities project.
The group, made up of United States Forest Service , the SBTS (Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, 'Administration of the Sierra Buttes Trail' in English) and local associations, intends to create Lost Sierra Trail , a hiking route of more than 965 kilometers linking the townships of Jonesville, Chester, Westwood, Susanville, Greenville, Taylorsville, Quincy, Graeagle, Portola, Downieville, Sierra City, Sierraville, Loyalton, Truckee, and Reno, within the states of California Y Snowfall.
The Lost Sierra Trail will connect 15 mountain towns in the states of California and Nevada.
The purpose of Connected Communities is the opening of a path “for everyone” , that is, a route that they can use hikers, cyclists mountaineers, hunters, bikers, horse riders horse, fishermen and the same wildlife from the mountains. The association undertakes to take charge of the plans, the environmental studies and the creation and maintenance of the paths.
THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE AND ALTERNATIVE TOURISM
Those responsible for this initiative are convinced that trail opening and maintenance will have widespread positive impact on these American mountain towns . According to what they say on their website, "the outdoor leisure [is] an industry with a value of 887 billion dollars [about 844 billion euros]”, with which the route project is a strong promise of economic prosperity for the towns included in the layout.
“[Lost Sierra Trail] will bring a leisure-focused lifestyle to the region through the investment in the local communities , joint management of several entities and the same peoples, economic opportunities and a significant increase in job creation in the area , which will benefit economically disadvantaged communities in California's counties of Feathers, saw, butte Y Lassen”.
Beyond the economic boost, Connected Communities plans to bring other benefits to the community, such as environmental education programs, youth employment and volunteering. Their ultimate goal, they explain, is create a tribute to the region and the postal route that ran through the area at the time of the so-called 'gold rush'.
The vastness of the United States allows you to enjoy a wide variety of environments and wildlife.
In a project where the environmental Protection is so essential, the organization has not wanted to forget the importance of water : the route will also traverse the Yuba and Feather rivers , which provide the 65% of drinking water in the California region . SBTS also hopes that this trail layout will achieve draw the attention of the international public and attract you to this area and its many natural charms.
WHEN CAN WE ENJOY LOST SIERRA TRAIL?
The first leg of the Lost Sierra Trail is scheduled to open in 2023 , with the entire route built and accessible to the public in 2030 . If you want to keep up to date with developments, you can subscribe to the Connected Communities newsletter on its website, where you will also find ways to collaborate with this environmental project and sustainable tourism in a more active way.