INDIANAPOLIS (December 4, 2007) - Governor Mitch Daniels today announced the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has reached an agreement in principle to purchase more than 150 miles of abandoned railroad corridors that will nearly double rail trail corridors in the state.

"Our goal is to have a trail within 15 minutes of every Hoosier within ten years," Daniels said.  "Today we have made a quantum leap forward that puts Indiana several steps closer to achieving this objective."

DNR is currently working with the owners of the former Penn Central Rail Line to purchase several segments of abandoned rail corridors.  Pieces of the line are located in 39 counties throughout the state.  The department's plan is to give the land to local governments and not-for-profit groups for future trail expansions.  Henry County already has plans to begin developing a trail in their area. 

Additional counties with new rail trail segments include: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Boone, Cass, Clay, Clinton, DeKalb, Decatur, Delaware, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Hancock, Howard, Jay, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, LaGrange, Madison, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Morgan, Noble, Owen, Parke, Pike, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, St. Joseph, Tipton, Vigo Wabash, Wayne and Whitley.  The 150 miles of new segments is in addition to the 173 miles of rail trails the state currently enjoys.

This is a remarkable year for multi-use trail funding in Indiana.  The state reached its goal of doubling the annual investment, to $20 million, as part of Daniels' Hoosiers on the Move trails initiative to connect communities throughout the state.  The governor also disclosed today that DNR has received $1.25 million from the Lilly Endowment Inc. for additional construction on five multi-use trails.

Their gift leverages nearly $5 million in federal transportation enhancement funds for trail development.  DNR selected the five trail locations.  The sites receiving funding are: 

• Nickel Plate Trail in Howard, Miami and Fulton counties. The additional funding will complete the final four miles of the southern half of the trail.
• White River Greenway in Muncie.  The funding helps finish the six-mile greenway and convert a brownfield site into public green space for the trailhead.
• Cardinal Greenway, which winds through five eastern Indiana counties. The award will help build a portion of the trail in Wayne County - completing an additional 4.5 miles.
• Monon Trail.  The funds will be used to construct a one-mile extension of the trail within the city of Westfield.
• Pumpkinvine Trail.  This project will complete a 2.3-mile section of the 17-mile Pumpkinvine Trail connecting Middlebury to the Elkhart/LaGrange County line.

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