Lake Elsinore, Wildomar Getting Merit Award for Planning of Murrieta Creek Regional Trail

The following is a news release from the City of Temecula:

The California Department of Parks and Recreation will honor a four city team who worked on the Murrieta Creek Regional Trail Plan the Merit Award for Planning at their upcoming Trails and Greenways Conference on April 23, 2015.

The plan represents a joint effort between the Cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, and Lake Elsinore, in partnership with the Santa Margarita Group of the San Gorgonio Chapter of the Sierra Club. Technical assistance on this project was provided by the National Park Service.

The Murrieta Creek Regional Trail Plan focuses on the development of a multi-use trail along the Murrieta Creek corridor that will connect the four cities. The Murrieta Creek Regional Trail is a longterm project to be funded and developed by the Riverside County Flood Control District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to its completion, an interim trail will be highlighted on Saturday, June 6, 2015 for National Trails Day. All four cities will host special events, with an opportunity to hike or bike the interim trail, which is approximately 14 miles in length from Old Town Temecula to Lake Elsinore.

Council Member Mike Naggar, member of the City of Temecula Trails Subcommittee said, “We are very pleased to receive this award along with our neighboring cities, and the other agencies who worked on this. The trail will provide recreational and economic benefits to the entire region, and promote health and wellness by bringing people closer to nature.”

The City of Temecula’s newest Council Member, Matt Rahn said, “Any increase to the number of miles of bike lanes and trails translates to a more healthy and livable community which is a core value of the City’s high quality of life.”

Rahn added, “This trail will also further improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists by taking them off road.”

The award recognizes high quality, multi-jurisdictional trail planning at the local level, and will be presented at the annual California Trails and Greenways Conference on April 23, 2015 at the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite National Park. For more information about the plan and interim trail to be introduced on Saturday, June 6, National Trails Day, please visit www.hikebiketemecula.org.