Trust for Public Land pushes Florida Gulf Coast Trail connector; MPO urged to protect corridor gaps

Charles Hines, program director with the Trust for Public Land, briefed the MPO board on the Florida Gulf Coast Trail connector project and urged county and MPO officials to treat the route as a regional priority to avoid losing opportunities as development proceeds.

Hines described the Florida Gulf Coast Trail as a contiguous, multi‑use corridor proposed to run roughly 420 miles from the Tampa/St. Petersburg area down to Naples. He said connecting existing local trails, closing gaps and using public‑land trailheads would create a regional asset for recreation, tourism and everyday mobility. "We're a 50‑year‑old nationwide nonprofit that believes in connecting people to the outdoors," Hines said as he summarized TPL's role in assembling land and advocating for trail networks.

Hines highlighted already completed segments and pointed to priority gaps in the Sarasota–Charlotte–Lee corridor, including connections through Gulf Cove, Tucker's Grade, and North River Road alignments. He described partnerships where counties have incorporated the Gulf Coast Trail identity onto local facilities and stressed that once road projects and private development are built, retrofitting continuous, high‑quality multi‑use trails becomes costly or impossible.

Board members signaled interest in keeping the connector on MPO and county agendas and discussed project funding opportunities such as SunTrail and FDOT program funds. Hines and staff agreed to share maps and concept material with county staff for next steps. No formal vote was taken; the presentation was provided for information and to promote coordination among local governments, FDOT and conservation partners.