On the recordFebruary 4, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Ghost Town Trail that runs between Ebensburg and Blairsville, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently named the Ghost Town Trail the Pennsylvania Trail of the Year. As a lifelong Pennsylvanian and avid outdoorsman, I am proud the 15th District is leading the way in developing and growing Pennsylvania's extensive trail network. It is important we cultivate an appreciation of the outdoors. We know trails are environmentally friendly, but they also are economically friendly. Trails boost real estate values. They present new business opportunities and bolster tourist-related revenue. The 44- mile long Ghost Town Trail provides all of these benefits. According to some experts, if it continues on its current trajectory, it will be the first trail in the East to connect in a full loop. The Trail of the Year award is well deserved for the Ghost Town Trail, and I am proud to recognize it here today. ____________________
