Here is a good article on Hatfield McCoy from the WV State Journal I thought some of you would like to read


Story posted on January 22, 2004
Businesses Benefit from ATVs
Southern West Virginia's Hatfield-McCoy Trail a Haven for Off-Road Enthusiasts
By C. KENNA AMOS
info@statejournal.com

LYBURN -- Southern West Virginia's nationally recognized Hatfield-McCoy Trail is more than just an off-road-trail rider's dream.

"What's the most outstanding thing about the trail system? Economic development what visitors bring to the state and the impact on small, rural communities," said Matt Ballard, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority.

The trail system will extend into Wayne, Lincoln, Boone, Logan, Mingo, Wyoming, McDowell and Mercer counties.

At present, "there are 200 miles in Logan, 100 in Mingo and 100 in Boone. By March or April, there will be 100 in Wyoming," Ballard said.

The goal of the authority, a quasi-government agency that is a public corporation, is to create a safe recreation area, primarily multi-use trails, he said.

"You can use ATVs, off-road motorcycles (dirt bikes), mountain bikes or ride horses and hike," he said.

Ballard said the trail, which is open daily, has "breathed new life in southern West Virginia. It's created an entrepreneurial spirit. Everyone is trying to figure out how to make money."

Visitors have expendable income, and they spend more than the state's average tourist, he added.

"The West Virginia Division of Tourism compiled statistics on the average tourist," Ballard said.

"He or she spends 3.17 days in the state and spends several hundred dollars. Our visitors exceed those numbers. Our average rider spends $250 to $500 per visit," Ballard said. "Bed-and-breakfasts and lodges have been created in counties where the trail is now located. Some riders want rustic lodging, but some want more plush accommodations."

Regardless of accommodation preference, riders arrive in increasing numbers. In the trail's first year, 6,000 trail permits were sold, Ballard said.

"In the second year, we had 11,000. In 2003, there were 16,000 permits," he said. "Many of these permits are annual or weeklong."

But the more important economic statistic is the user day, which represents one person on the trail for one day, he said.

"Since the beginning of the trail, we've had 250,000 user days. Last year, we probably had 75,000 to 100,000."

Trail riders are "pretty diverse," he added.

"We get mostly motorized users," Ballard said. "Eighty-five percent are male. We've had visitors from 46 states and six countries. Our biggest state is Ohio, at 21 percent of all riders. North Carolina is at 11 percent; Virginia and Pennsylvania are both at 7 percent."

Those states are "our biggest states," he said, in addition to West Virginia, which "is at 20 percent. What's exciting is that we're getting the out-of-state dollars, but West Virginians are using the trail, too."

Riders make summer busy, but October is unquestionably the trail's biggest income month because of the annual Trailfest, Ballard said.

"We had 700 people this past year (at the event). We sold 3,700 permits (that month)."

Visitors have stimulated creation of local businesses, he explained.

"If a community wants a trail head, they can get one. Since October 2000, in Man, 16 new businesses lodging, food and restaurants, outfitters, etc.have been started," Ballard said. "I'm positive 80 to 90 percent have been as a result of the trail."

Perhaps even more important, tourist-related economic growth occurs when a town becomes a trail connector, he said. Gilbert and Matewan are such connectors, and Williamson and Delbarton will be next, he added.

"The trail connecter provides a destination ride. It's an offshoot of the trail," Ballard said. "Suppose someone wants to ride from Man to Gilbert. That's about 50 miles. After three hours of riding, the riders want to get something to eat, so they can come into Gilbert."

Connectors are critical to the trail's and a town's success, Ballard said. "What we've seen is businesses and even government prospering. We have an Internet coffeehouse in Gilbert," he said. "The (business and occupation) tax revenues are increasing."

But, "we require the town to pass a city ordinance that incorporates our safety rules," he said. "That ordinance must incorporate our safety rules for ATVs that apply not just to our riders but to local riders who might be using ATVs.

"You have to wear helmets, you can't double on ATVs. Proper foot ware and eyewear are required."

That commitment to safety makes the Hatfield-McCoy Trail "the model for safety for all trails in the U.S. We've had no fatalities. We've had only 83 accidents reported, of which 20 required medical attention, and only 10 required hospitalization," Ballard said.

The trail and its safety record are moving toward McDowell and Mercer, he explained.

"We signed a 44,000-acre mapping agreement with a landowner who has property in both Wyoming and McDowell. If there's property that can be developed, that doesn't interfere with other land use. We can sign a licensing agreement."

For the next few months, however, the authority's efforts will be "to maintain and promote what we have. We'll focus on Wyoming. We will then begin to go into McDowell," Ballard said.

Because Mercer County joined the authority last, "our plan is to develop the first seven counties. But if the development for whatever reason gets held up in other areas, I don't see why we can't develop the trails there (Mercer). We already have property owners that have developable trails."

Ballard is "excited" to have Mercer County as part of the system "because they have an infrastructure that many of the rural counties don't have. Many riders from Virginia and North Carolina come up I-77 through Mercer County."

Information on trail rules, permits and lodging is available at (800) 592-2217 or online at www.trailsheaven.com

 

Nice article, Todd.

 

It would be nice if the rest of the legislators could get on track with that kind of thinking.

Nice article.