MATAG:
A Must-Have for Midwest Trail Advocates

Chicago was once the axis of railroad lines throughout all the Midwest. Today the city plays host to a new system of corridors and connections at the Mid America Trails & Greenways (MATAG) Conference, December 9-12. Representing the trail interests of seven Midwestern states—including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin—MATAG aims to tighten and strengthen the trail-building community across America's heartland.

"It's a great opportunity for trail builders and stakeholders to come together and better understand their roles in the Midwest trail system," says Rhonda Border-Boose, director of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Midwest Regional Office and a member of the MATAG steering committee.
 
Conference programs and workshops will help educate trail planners on how to build active communities in urban, suburban and rural environments. Sessions will explore topics from developing regional, cross-state networks to water and winter pathways. The agenda, according to the official Web site , also includes three post-conference workshops to "provide the opportunity to further explore and share ideas on the development of active, healthy communities; designing and building sustainable trails; and the theory, process and implementation of a green infrastructure plan."
 
MATAG conference attendees who would like to learn more about Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation can attend a breakout session on Wednesday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to noon.
 
To learn more about MATAG or register for the conference, please visit www.openlands.org.