The superintendent of Desoto Falls State Park in DeKalb County, Ala., has been chosen for a new position designed to bolster Alabama's trail network as the state parks place a renewed emphasis on trails amid favorable financial developments for the system.
Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein announced last week that Ken Thomas is being appointed trail coordinator for the park system's north region.
Thomas, a 27-year veteran of the park system, will spearhead the effort to bolster the state park trail system while still maintaining some supervisory responsibilities at DeSoto Falls, which is about 50 miles southwest of Chattanooga.
The role will include building a formal program that will inventory existing trails, survey trail users' interests, plan trail construction and maintenance and coordinate with trail-oriented volunteers, clubs and grants.
"We've just seen a growing interest in trails from all different forms of trail communities across the state, and the state park system is kind of the mothership of good, well-maintained trails," Lein said. "But we feel like we need to be doing a better job of maintaining the trails we have, looking at building new trails and being responsive to this growing interest in trail use."
The announcement comes in tandem with the unveiling of Alabama's "Dirt Pass" program, which prompts trail users to make a donation to receive an annual pass, with the proceeds going back into developing the state's trail network. The 2016 passes can be had for a donation of $25 at 10 state parks, including Desoto Falls.
"We're sort of branding our trail users," Lein said. "You're a member of a club and contributing to the well-being of that club. The big club is the trails themselves.
"We've recognized trails users as the biggest and one of the most significant day-use, recreational groups. Through this dirt pass we'll now be able to begin to identify who those community members are, where they're from and what they want."
The trails coordinator position and dirt pass program are being launched as the Alabama State Parks system finds itself on firmer financial footing after threats of slashed funds in proposed state budgets last year.
Eventually, the Legislature and Gov. Robert Bentley agreed on a budget that maintained funding for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Lawmakers also approved a November ballot referendum to amend the state constitution to protect state park funding legislative redirection.
"If we tried to roll this program out last year, I couldn't look anyone in the eye and say, 'We know we're going to get to keep this money you give us and put it to good use on these trails,'" Lein said. "I couldn't say that, because the money was going out the back door and getting transferred to the general fund.
"That's going to change, and because of that, we're confident in rolling this out."
Lein said the trails coordinator position is a pilot effort. Depending on how things go, another trail coordinator position could be added for the southern half of the state, or Thomas' role could be expanded.
Most of the state parks' 285-plus trail miles are in north Alabama, and many of those miles have been maintained by volunteer groups.
Thomas said in a news release that visitors value the trails as a staple of the state parks system.
"Alabama has never had a professionally managed State Parks trail system," he said. "We'll begin that process with a thorough survey of our trails to determine where we should focus our efforts.
"We'll also be surveying our trail users to better understand what their interests are, and studying the best trail-building techniques and technologies in order to build trails that will last a lifetime."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.