Cullman County officials broke ground on a new mountain bike/hiking trail at Sportsman Lake Park this week, adding to the list of improvements made to the county park system in recent months.
    Fresh on the heels of a new paved multi-purpose trail at the park, which is now halfway through the first phase of construction, the heavily wooded mountain bike trail will consist of three loops/sections of increasing difficulty to  accommodate bikers and hikers of  various skill levels.
    County officials said they expect the trail to be an asset to the park system by both attracting tourists and by providing recreation for locals as well.
    "I think it's great," said Cullman County Commission Chairman Norman Tucker. "It's not just a trail ... a lot of people consider mountain biking a sport, and a lot of people from all over will come to enjoy it."
    "It's a great asset for the park and for the park board."

Local officials discuss the projected impact of the new trail on Cullman County's tourist
trade and the positive benefits for Cullman County citizens.

    "It's another great project for Cullman County parks," said Associate Commissioner Stanley Yarbrough. "It's the first (mountain) bike trail to be built in Cullman ... that's a big positive for the county parks. I believe it will bring a lot of tourism in. It's another great step for the future of Cullman County."
    "I like it a lot," said Associate Commissioner Wiley Kitchens. "I like the wild areas, the natural areas. I think this is definitely a big plus for Cullman County."
    Cullman County Industrial Development Board member Billy Faulk, who is an avid mountain biker and, along with engineer Bill St. John, helped spearhead the push for a mountain bike trail at Sportsman Lake Park, said he also looks at the trail from an economic development standpoint and believes it will help bring both businesses and individuals to the area to stay.
    "I'd been talking to Dale Greer (of the City of Cullman Economic Development Office) and Randall Shedd of the County Economic Development Office for a while about the possibility of getting a mountain bike trail here in Cullman County," Faulk said. "Randall set up a meeting with Sammie (Danford), and the next thing I knew, it took off."
    "I think it will be a useful tool, from an economic development standpoint. It will bring people into the area. I'm very appreciative of how receptive both the city and the county were concerning this project."
    According to project engineer Todd Hardman, the Cullman County Commission has set aside $4,000 for signs and trail markers as well as to help fund the clearing of the trail, most of which will be done through the use of inmate work crews and volunteer labor.
    "Hopefully, weather permitting, we'll be through with the trail this winter," Hardman said. "When it's complete, it'll be between three and four miles long. It'll be great for mountain bike enthusiasts and hikers as well."
    Chairman Norman Tucker noted that he and other county officials are grateful to St. John & Associates, who donated all of the mapping and engineering on the project.
    "It takes cooperation like that in a community," Tucker said. "St. John & Associates donated a lot of work to see this project come about, and we're very thankful for that."