The Greenleaf Trail in the Towns of Islip and Brookhaven,SuffolkCounty has been selected to receive trail development assistance in 2008 from Parks& TrailsNew Yorkas part of the statewide non-profit’sHealthy Trails, Healthy Peopleprogram. The program is aimed at helping New Yorkers develop more active communities and an enhanced quality of life through the creation of multi-use trails. As part of the program, selected communities will receive technical and planning assistance, workshops, min-grants, and organizational support.

“Our intent is to build the vision, constituencies and local commitment that are critical to the long-term success of trail projects. The ultimate goal is getting trails built, because research has shown that where people have access to trails, they’re generally more physically active,” commented Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin.

Parks &Trails New York will assist the Tuthills Creek Alliance with development and promotion of the Greenleaf Trail, a 15-20-mile multi-use trail that would use existing and proposed trails in the towns ofIslip and Brookhaven to connect Bayport, Blue Point, Patchogue,Sayville and Holbrook inSuffolkCounty.

These communities have been blessed with a treasure in their midst, how else can one describe the reality of the proposed Greenleaf Trail. Within a five minute bike ride or a ten minute walk thousands of area residents can find themselves on a trail that feels like a world away. They will be able to hike or bike along two river corridors work up a good sweat wandering for miles in Pine Barren Forest or stop to a friends home or a local shop without having to take out the car.

Ginny Fields NYS Assembly, 5th District says: “Part of the Greenleaf Trail system will run through several hamlets within my district. This healthy outdoor creation will benefit both youthful and older citizens in our communities and I am proud to have been able to support this worthy project.” Suffolk County Legislator Eddington says: "Hiking and biking trails are an excellent, low cost way to encourage residents to stay healthy while enjoying nature. The Greenleaf Trail can be a wonderful opportunity to provide that recreation in centralSuffolk. The next step should be an outreach effort to the communities in the area to garner their input and support." Jane Fasullo, outings & outreach chair for L.I. Sierra Club says: “The trail fits perfectly with the Sierra Club’s founding principles.” The Sierra Club’s motto is: “explore, enjoy, and protect the planet”. Tom Casey, Vice President Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference (LIGTC) says: “The LIGTC praises and supports the efforts to create the Greenleaf Trail…the trails would be a distinct asset for the area and Long Island in general.” Michael Vitti, Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (CLIMB) president and member of Long Island Greenways and Healthy Trails (LIGHT) committee says: "Greenways can help Long Islanders burn calories and not carbon thereby increasing our health while also reducing pollution." Richard Amper Executive Director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society (LIPBS) says: “The LIPBS wishes to express its enthusiastic support for creation of the proposed Greenleaf Trail.”

Other projects and the communities selected to Receive Trail Development Assistance include:

ChenangoCanalConnections Corridor - Town ofClinton,OneidaCountyand Towns ofMadison,Hamilton, and Eaton,MadisonCounty
Quassaic Creek Trail –Newburghand Town o f NewWindsor,OrangeCounty
Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway – Oneonta,OtsegoCounty
Chemung Valley Riverside Trail – Corning toElmira, Chemung andSteubenCounty

“The projects vary in terms of type of setting (rural, urban, suburban), stage of development, and geographic region of the state. Many of them involve creating connections as well as partnerships among multiple communities. What each of the projects has in common is the ability to link people to places and contribute to individual health, quality of life and the environmental and economic health of New York’s communities,” added Dropkin.

Parks &TrailsNew York is already providing assistance to projects in New York City and in the following counties:Niagara,Erie,Livingston,Ontario, Tompkins,Madison,Oswego, Chenango,Herkimer,Delaware, Albany,Rensselaer, Clinton,St. Lawrence, Sullivan,RocklandandNassau.

Additional trail resources include how-to guide, electronic newsletter
In order to reach the many other communities across the State that are also seeking assistance with trail development,Parks &Trails New York offersGetting Started: A Guide to Planning Trails inNew YorkState. The 40-page guide provides comprehensive, step-by-step guidance on establishing trails, based on the experience of many successful trail organizers. The publication is available from Parks& TrailsNew Yorkor on the organization’s website www.ptny.org.

Also available isParks & Trails E-News, a free, bi-monthly electronic newsletter which offers timely information on trail and health resources, funding opportunities, and legislation affecting trails. To sign up, visitwww.ptny.org.

Parks &Trails New York is the only statewide not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the health and quality of life of New Yorkers through the use and enjoyment of a growing network of parks, pedestrian and bicycle trails, greenways, and heritage corridors around the state. Healthy Trails, Healthy People is funded in part by a grant from the Healthy Heart Program of the New York State Department of Health. To find out more about the Healthy Trails, Healthy Peopleprogram, contactParks &Trails New York at 518-434-1583 orptny@ptny.orgor visit theParks & Trails New Yorkwebsite atwww.ptny.org.