Clark County court hears tourism group’s plan to pursue state and federal trail grants; river access explored
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Summary
Winchester Clark County Tourism introduced trail maintenance and accessibility projects at Fort Boonesborough and asked the court to support grant applications; the Bluegrass Area Development District offered to help with applications and procurement. Members discussed combining recreation and tourism funding and exploring kayak/canoe access on the county’s waterways.
Jill Hamlin, executive director of Winchester Clark County Tourism, told the Clark County Fiscal Court that the county could pursue state and federal trail grants to repair erosion, add benches and signage, and make trails more accessible at Fort Boonesborough.
"My name is Jill Hamlin, and it is an absolute honor to be standing here with you all today," Hamlin said, introducing the tourism office’s interest in funding improvements. A representative of the Bluegrass Area Development District told the court the federal Recreational Trails Program (administered by the Department for Local Government in partnership with the National Park Service) would be a strong fit for the proposed work and that grant awards commonly range from about $25,000 to $250,000. "This year, it's opening in August," the representative said.
The Bluegrass Area Development District representative also described the typical funding structure: the program is a reimbursement grant that normally covers roughly 80% of eligible invoices, with applicants responsible for the remaining 20%. The speaker said the state legislature recently approved a large state matching fund (about $100 million) intended to cover almost all of local matching requirements for projects like this.
Court members pressed for details about schedule and procurement. The presenter said the application window opens in August but the exact submission deadline had not been published; she advised staff to prepare bids and procurement documents ahead of the opening because projects could take several years to complete and the grant requires proof of payment before reimbursement. "You do have to show proof of payment, before they will reimburse you," the representative said.
The court also discussed boat and river access for recreation. A committee member raised a prior Fish and Wildlife denial for a kayak/canoe launch at Billy Bush — the denial had been based on proximity to Boonsboro — and said Clark County currently lacks public river access. "We don't have anything in Clark County. Right. No boat river access at all," the committee member said, urging the court to explore alternatives. Members discussed coordinating with Parks and Rec staff (including Kevin Ryan, who previously pursued river-access funding) and potentially combining tourism and river-access projects into separate grant applications that could be submitted concurrently.
Court members asked that staff and partner agencies work on bids and procurement so the county could be ready to apply when the program opens. The court said it would schedule a public hearing once a plan and timeline are prepared.
