About 200 people came together this week to provide input on a 70-mile greenway connecting Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties, according to Land Trust of North Alabama Executive Director Marie Bostick.

“Everyone seemed excited about the opportunity,” Bostick said. “We had hardly any negative comments.”

While the Singing River Trail project has been in the works for a couple of years now, the public got its first chance to give input on the idea at two meetings this week. Bostick said the first, held Monday at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, was attended by about 140 people. The second meeting, held Tuesday at Calhoun Community College’s Decatur campus, was attended by about 60.

Consultants from Alta Planning + Design gave a presentation on the recreational and economic benefits that could come from such a project. They included examples from other greenways in the Southeast, such as the Razorback Greenway, a 30-mile trail in northwest Arkansas.

In Alabama, Alta lead consultant Matt Hayes and Chuck Flink, who has designed and built greenways for more than three decades, predicted the Singing River Trail project could bring 900 temporary jobs, as many as 100 permanent jobs and indirect economic spending benefits of more than $23.5 million.

Those in attendance were able to visit different stations to vote and give input on the trail. A board was provided for people to write down suggestions or ideas for the trail. Attendees were also encouraged to make notes on maps, charts and other displays.

The information provided would give designers and builders an idea of the features the community wants, such as what portions are paved or kept natural, which areas should be connected by the trail, and more.

“We’re trying to hit a multitude of different aspects that will bring us all together as a community and show what we can do when we all come together,” Bostick said.

Now that designers have shown what is possible and received feedback on the idea, the next step is the master planning, or determining the route and how it would function, she said. She also said the group is working to have social media or a website set up so those who didn’t make it to the public input meetings are still able to let their thoughts or opinions be known.

“We don’t want to lose the momentum we’ve gained from this public launch,” Bostick said.

All in a name

The Tennessee River is also known as “The Singing River,” based on the belief of local Native American tribes that a woman lived in the river and sang to them.

At the Decatur meeting, Shannon Fuller Keith of the Alabama chapter of the National Trail of Tears Association shared the story of Teh-lah-ney, a young girl of the Yuchi tribe who was forced to travel to Oklahoma in the early 1800s. When she realized the rivers of Oklahoma did not sing the way the river of North Alabama did, she started a two-year journey alone and walked all the way back.

This, and the fact the Singing River Trail will likely follow alongside several miles of the Tennessee River, are just two reasons why it was given the name.

“It just sort of bubbled to the surface as an idea of something we would like to highlight,” she said.

While she couldn’t say for sure just how much the Native American heritage would play into the trail, she did point out they started with including Native American symbols, such as those for water, in the trail’s logo.

“It’s really cool, because it tied it back to the health and healing of the river,” Bostick said. “… All of those things came together and it was just like, ‘This is really cool.'”