Butler Freeport Trail Home Page

Butler Freeport Community Trail

Read our Trail Council January , March, April or May Minutes and
our Spring 2009 trail Newsletter
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PLEASE JOIN US ON JULY 11TH 10 AM CONGRESSWOMAN KATHY DAHLKEMPER IS SPONSORING A BIKE/HIKE ON THE BUTLER FREEPORT COMMUNITY TRAIL THE BIKE/HIKE WILL START AT THE CABOT TRAILHEAD ON WINFIELD ROAD FOR DIRECTIONS MAPQUEST THE CABOT, PA POST OFFICE YOU CAN SEE THE TRAILHEAD FROM THE POST OFFICE. THE BIKE HIKE WILL BE 11 MILES BUT IT IS A VERY EASY RIDE. AFTER THE RIDE SHE WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.
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Please report any ATV sightings on the trail
with detailed description, time of day, date, and where on trail
to president@butlerfreeporttrail.org This will allow us to help
the game commission officers to patrol the trail.
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A Dog Officer will be patrolling our trail for dogs who are unleashed,
unlicensed or have out of date rabies certificates.
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We are pleased to announce the approval of a $195,000 DCNR grant for completing the trail into Butler. The scope of the project will be cut short because of the arsenic contamination found near Father Marinaro Park, our original planned trailhead. Our trail is responsible for $10,000 cash and almost $15,000 in in-kind services. After remediation of the arsenic contaminated areas, the trail will be completed as originally planned and Fellowship Crossing will be built. We still do not have a time frame for more testing and DEP hasn't come up with a plan yet. Another public meeting will be in mid-June. We will post the date when we know it. Construction on the unfinished trail segment will start late summer or early fall.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2009
The Butler Freeport Community Trail remains undaunted in its group effort to finish the connection to the city of Butler. Despite yesterday’s news that arsenic was discovered in the area of bridge construction, the trail council, in conjunction with Buffalo Township, which owns the trail, plans to complete the link with an alternate trailhead, said Chris Ziegler, trail council president. “We want to move as quickly as possible to move the trailhead to a different location, because we know it will take time to remediate the site,” said Ziegler. To clear the way for the bridge, which is to be named Fellowship Crossing, trail council volunteers cleared trees, brush and vegetation from an old railroad spur which ended at Kaufman Drive in the city of Butler. The trail was to end at this point, with a planned parking lot and trailhead, but yesterday’s discovery has placed these plans temporarily on hold, Ziegler said. The trail council had obtained steel beams and other materials to complete the bridge project and were awaiting approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection before proceeding with construction. The trail council was working from plans created by a trail volunteer – a retired PennDOT engineer – who incorporated the old bridge stones and sharp slope of the Kaufman Drive approach into his plan. “It is an excellent plan, and we are confident it will become reality,” Ziegler said.
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Butler County Commissioners awarded nearly $70,000 in grants for nine park renovation projects. Our trail was funded $6,000 towards an $8,000 stormwater management project that includes installation of catch basins and creation of stormwater containment areas along the trail.
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Trail Bulletin Boards are for approved trail notices and information.
Please do not post business cards, flyers, etc.
Contact Chris Ziegler, our trail council president
for advertising rates or permission to post trail related notices,etc.

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Trail Projects Worksheet
Fill out and submit a Project Worksheet
before beginning any projects on the trail
This will allow the trail council to approve and
ensure your project meets our trail standards.
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New Major Fundraising Campaign

Our trail is in the early stages of a major $250,000 fundraising campaign.
We have raised $93,200 including a $40,000 grant so far and need your support.
These funds will be used to construct the final 4 miles of the trail into Butler,
which also includes a bridge over Coal Run into Father Marinaro Park.
You may make a one time contribution or finance your contribution over a 3 year period.

Remit checks to Butler-Freeport Trail Council PO Box 533, Saxonburg, Pa. 16056.
The Butler Freeport Community Trail Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
All donations are tax-deductible. A copy of the Butler-Freeport Trail Council's official
registration and financial information can be obtained from the Pennsylvania
Department of State by calling (toll free within Pennsylvania) 800-732-0999.
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View or download a trail brochure & map black&white (1 meg) color (4 meg)

View or download an Updated Trail Map by Shaun Busler, GISP

View or download a Trail Mileage Chart
Trail Tee Shirts are for sale.