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Ribbon cut on restored section of Shawnee National Forest trail

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[After a couple year&#39;s work and more scheduled to go, the U.S. Forest Service and outdoor-oriented organizations cut the ribbon on 9 miles of improvements made or to be made on the River to River Trail Thursday.

The ceremony was at High Knob Recreation Area where the bulk of the restoration work was centered.

The restoration has involved trail resurfacing including gravel and drainage work to keep the trail section from eroding.

Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas said partnerships with organizations are important to the forest&#39;s trail maintenance program.

"Partnership is one of the things programs live and die by," Nicholas said.

Nicholas introduced Patti Laubscher, owner of Hayes Creek Campground and member of the Shawnee Trail Conservancy.

Laubscher wrote the grant application and submitted letters of support from the Shawnee Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of America, Southern Illinois Tourism Bureau, U.S. Rep. John Shimkus and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. Word the $128,000 grant for trail work was being awarded came July of 2009.

The three sections slated for improvement are West Bay Creek 3 miles west of Eddyville, Buzzard Roost west of High Knob Recreation Area and Eagle Creek east of High Knob, according to a July of 2009 press release from the Shawnee National Forest. The trail sections comprise four counties: Hardin, Gallatin, Pope and Saline.

Work on the three sections are to continue this year and next year.

Laubscher said she was proud about the Forest Service&#39;s interest in trails the past several years. She said the trails bring people to our area and maintained trails minimize the effect of crowds on the environment.

"Multi-use trails bring people from all over the country," Laubscher said.

She said visitors spend money here whether through a shopping trip or through having to take a dog to a veterinarian.

Laubscher, representing the Shawnee Trails Conservancy, applied for and received a $20,000 matching grant of the Illinois Equine Industry Research and Promotion Board.

Laubscher spoke to Tim Pohlman -- then Shawnee National Forest Recreation Staff Officer and now District Ranger of the Hidden Springs Ranger District -- and he proposed using that grant money to entice a larger grant award.

The federal Recreation Trails Program matched the $20,000 for the total $128,000, an amount higher than Laubscher had conceived.

"By cooperating we were able to raise more money," Laubscher said.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources which administers money from the federal Recreational Trails Program selected the segments of the River to River Trail for funding.

Cutting the ribbon Thursday were River to River Trail Society Trail Boss Eric Johnson, Laubscher and Nicholas.

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DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>

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