The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has now joined the effort to complete fundraising and get the “North Loop” of the RRVT completed as soon as possible
DES MOINES, IOWA, July 24, 2009 – The highly-respected Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, which has led the development of many of the top recreational trails in Iowa, has joined in the effort to get the new 33-mile “North Loop” of the Raccoon River Valley Trail completed as soon as possible.
Specifically, the Des Moines-based foundation has volunteered staff time and resources to develop and encourage the fund-raising effort to find an additional $850,000 as matching money for the $1.6 million Vision Iowa Program grant from its Community Attraction & Tourism fund for the new trail development and construction. The Vision Iowa grant was announced in June, and meant that after two years of fundraising, the RRVT project has secured $5.8 million toward the total cost of $6.6 million. The additional $850,000 must be raised within 180 days of the Vision Iowa contract being signed, or by December 7 of this year.
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation in the past year joined in the effort to help raise matching funds when the new Ankeny-to-Woodward Trail faced a deadline to comply with the Vision Iowa grant it had been awarded, pending completion of the fundraising. That effort was successful.
Now the INHF joins in the effort to complete the “North Loop” of the RRVT, by using the foundation’s Internet site and its membership roster to alert potential donors to the need and opportunity on the trail which will connect 15 communities and four counties.
“The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has long been known as a guardian of the state’s precious natural resources and nature areas, and for developing outdoor recreational opportunities where they’re appropriate,” said Carla Offenburger, of Cooper, president of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association, which promotes and markets the RRVT. “Having them join us in this effort to complete our fundraising is a natural fit. We really appreciate their leadership on this and having their expertise and contacts available.”
To see the INHF’s coverage and work on this, you can go directly to it by clicking here.
