The Fresno-Clovis Rail-Trail

The City of Clovis, the City of Fresno, Tree Fresno, and the Coalition for Community Trails were the recipients of the Trail Project Merit Award at the California Trails Conference in Redding, CA this September. The specific persons named as recipients were Mark Keppler with the Coalition for Community Trails, John Wright with the City of Clovis, Nick Yovino with the City of Fresno, and Ellen Blalack with Tree Fresno.

The Coalition for Community Trails is a non-profit organization comprised of representatives from the Fresno and Clovis Chambers of Commerce, the Fresno Business Council, the Craig School of Business, Fresno Joggers, Fresno Cycling Club, Sierra Club, Tree Fresno, The River Parkway Trust and concerned citizens- all working for the development of a network of greenbelts and trails throughout the Fresno-Clovis area. Tree Fresno is a grassroots, membership-based and volunteer dependent, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to educating the public about tree selection and care, and work with public agencies to preserve and properly maintain trees.

The recipients did an outstanding job of marshalling volunteer resources to secure funding through grant proposals, reaching out to the communities of Fresno and Clovis, and working with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure timely implementation of the Fresno- Clovis (Sugar Pine) Trail.

Timely, in this case, is an understatement to say the least. In the space of 2 ½ years, these organizations managed to complete a 13 mile rail-to-trail conversion from concept to concrete. The commitment and cooperation displayed by the recipients is unparalleled and deserves recognition.

In addition to an unprecedented commitment to on-time project delivery, the Fresno- Clovis trail also has the distinction of being the first rail-trail in California’s Central Valley.

The trail, which runs through Old Town Clovis, gained support of joggers, cyclists, businesses, chambers of commerce, and multiple environmental organizations. The trail connects up a variety of existing resources, including Yosemite International Airport, Woodward Park, the San Joaquin River Parkway, and the Eaton Trail. The trail will be beautifully landscaped, including areas of shade and multiple rest-stops.

As if this list of achievements weren’t enough, this distinguished group of citizens set an official Guinness World Record. On the morning of May 6, in an event organized by Tree Fresno, nearly 5000 trees were planted along the Fresno- Clovis Trail by 3000 volunteers in just over three hours- the biggest community tree planting event of all time.