American Hiking Society's first regionally focused program, the Southern Appalachians Initiative, is building a conservation constituency among trail volunteers, conservation organizations, and agencies to link up a 5,000 mile hiking trail network in the southeast. The effort is regionally focused in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, southern Virginia, and Tennessee.

Just announced! American Hiking Society is proud to announce the Great Eastern Trail (PDF 237KB). More information about the Great Eastern Trail will be added soon! (PDF will open new window).

For an example of what the Southern Appalachians Initiative is all about, please take a look at this video.

Click on the map to see a larger image; may take up to a minute to load for slower connections.

One step has been to organize a Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition whose goals are to:

• Promote a regional network of long-distance hiking trails
• Protect the natural hiking trail corridors by jointly raising the visibility of the value and importance of hiking trails to the public
• Build hiking trails in the southeast, as well as the relationships between the organizations and individuals who are overseeing our foot trails.

A key partner in this effort is the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program of the National Park Service, whose staff work on the grassroots level with local citizens groups and state and local governments to revitalize nearby rivers, preserve valuable open space, and develop trail and greenway networks.

Drink coffee? Try the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition Blend! Higher Ground Coffee Roasters offers a Fair Trade 100% organic coffee blend that benefits our Southern Appalachians Initiative. Pick some up today!

For more information about the Southern Appalachians Initiative please contact Jeffrey Hunter at 423-266-2507 or by email.

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