Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) grew up minutes away from Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail, a winding paved trail that is steeped in history. The pathway is a celebration of the state’s natural beauty, and also happens to be one of the longest paved trails in the country.
I was lucky to grow up right next to this incredible multiuse trail,” Jones says. The pastoral views and wildlife variety invite Alabama natives and tourists alike to take in the scenery at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Chief Ladiga Trail is celebrated as Alabama’s first rail trail project and has served as an example of how our state benefits from its trail networks–not only for recreational use, but for economic development, community connection, historic preservation. Senator Jones, whose voice has been invaluable to creating the Sweet Trails Alabama trail network.
Senator Andrew Jones receives 2024 “20 Under 40” Leadership Award at the Council of State Governments National Conference (Andrew Jones/Facebook)
“We want to physically link Alabama’s outdoor assets in a coherent way, in order to tell a story about what Alabama is,” he explains.
Sweet Trails Alabama, the Alabama Statewide Comprehensive Trails Plan, is the statewide initiative and planning document that identifies and maps existing trails and presents a statewide network composed of regional and local trails to connect all 67 counties, their communities, and major cultural and natural resource destinations across the state. The Plan serves as a blueprint for the State’s future investment in a connected, accessible, safe, and world-class trail network.
Jones understands the importance and magnitude of the state’s outdoor assets–and wants them to be in the forefront of lawmakers’ minds. Jones authored legislation to create the statewide master plan to link all 67 counties in the state. These connections are not merely trails, but include a host of other outdoor assets such as greenways, nature preserves, tourist attractions and historical sites. “A recent report from Innovate Alabama found that if we want to recruit and maintain people in the state, outdoor recreation is one of best ways to do that,” he says. “It’s truly an untapped resource in our economy.”
Sweet Trails Alabama ushered in trailbuilding experts, Alta Planning and Design, to build out the master plan to connect all 67 Alabama counties. Led by Alta Principal Matt Hayes, the team embarked on a statewide tour in October 2023 and met with 282 leaders and stakeholders, sharing conversations which gave insight into the types of trails communities want and need.
Senator Andrew Jones receives 2024 “20 Under 40” Leadership Award at the Council of State Governments National Conference (Andrew Jones/Facebook)
Additionally, Senator Jones and the Sweet Trails Alabama team have been working side by side with Jacksonville State University’s Trail Science Institute (TSI) by participating in the steering committee and providing support for the master plan. “They have the only trail science program in the state, so they were a natural fit for Sweet Trails,” Jones says. “It’s been an exciting partnership.”
As Sweet Trails builds momentum across the state, Senator Jones is enthusiastic about a new initiative to help communities dig into their untapped resources with a trail toolkit.
“The trail toolkit is a way to give each community valuable resources and best practices, i.e., how to apply for grant funding, in order to help them build trails in their communities,” Jones says. “I believe this is going to help put Alabama on the map for outdoor recreation–we’ve already begun to do that.”
To learn more about Sweet Trails’ unique collaborative initiative or how to get involved, visit sweettrailsalabama.org.
