Chester Trails began as a 2012 initiative funded by an ANJEC Land Use Grant to create an Integrated Trails Plan for the Chesters, and was facilitated by Conservation Resources Inc. In 2014, the organization received a NJDEP Grant for the purpose of implementing some of the recommendations. In the Integrated Trails Ecosystem Project (ITEP), improving connections between trails, neighborhoods, and facilities, and creating signage to help people locate trailheads as well as local points of interest was the priority. ITEP pulled together information on over 50 miles of trails in Chester Township and Chester Borough, and then made suggestions about how to improve the trails network.
The Chester Integrated Trails Plan was made possible by the financial support of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC), the Chester Historical Society, the Chester Borough Open Space Trust Fund, the Chester Township Open Space Trust Fund, and the Raritan Highlands Commission/North Jersey RC&D.
The Project Team would also like to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their assistance:
- Morris County GIS: Stuart Walter, Janice Peal, and Steve Rice;
- Chester Township: Mayor William Cogger, Councilman Matt Kass, and Sarah Jane Noll;
- Chester Borough: Mayor Robert Davis;
- Morris County Parks: Tom Edmunds, Russell Nee, and David Helmer;
- Ben Spinelli, Tony Flamino, Dr. John Puffer, Gracie Harrigan Consulting Foresters, Marty Epstein &
- Jesse Epstein of Marty’s Reliable Cycle, and Tuen Ott; The comments and feedback from the Chester Township Environmental Commission and the Chester Borough Environmental & Open Space Committee.