Muskingum Valley Park District Progress

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – As demand for public recreation steadily increases, the Muskingum Valley Park District is working to accommodate those desires by constructing parks that provide a convenient and practical appeal.  

Executive Director Russell Edgington talked about the completion of the Canal Park Trail and described some of the other upcoming projects that his organization will be addressing in the near future

“Really, right now, the emphasis on projects since we completed this one is Straker Landing. We’ve applied for grants to get that moving. We had a pleasant surprise that when the demo folks were there, demolition folks, they scraped out the existing boat ramp and then we were surprised to see that it was in pretty much pristine condition. So that’s literally going to save us about $250,000,” Edgington said.

The park district is primarily funded through grant monies, which makes underbudgeting vital in stretching funds to improve walkways and accessibility. 

“We still are committed to extending the Muskingum Recreational Trail, which of course runs down from Dresden to Ellis Dam. So we are looking at the potential of extending that down to Route 666. Of course we’ve got that donated property out off of 146, the Kerns Property, right at Kerns Drive. We’re looking at different grant opportunities to get that project underway,” Edgington said.

Edgington noted that another major focus is building trails that are able to link as many of the parks together as possible.