Planning and Developing Trails and Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 166

• encourage long-term, cross-border cooperation in research, conservation,

cultural or education exchanges, contemporary artistic or cultural prac-
tices and sustainable tourism; and

• be managed by at least one independent association or organized net-

work. (Hammond, 2004: 13)

To help the Council of Europe coordinate the development of the routes,
the European Institute of Cultural Routes was established in 1998
in Luxembourg. The institute's primary duties include coordinating and pro-
viding technical assistance to existing routes, managing a trails database,
developing new proposals and disseminating information about the program
(Council of Europe, 2013; Timothy & Saarinen, 2013). At the time of writing
there were 33 European Cultural Routes (Table 6.1).

The National Trails System (USA)
In 1968, the US Congress passed the National Trails System Act, which
aimed to promote preservation, access, travel and enjoyment within the
outdoors and heritage resources of the US. While this law opened the gate-
way for the development of many linear parks and trail types, it specifically
permitted the founding of three types of trails: National Scenic Trails,
National Historic Trails and National Connecting and Side Trails. The law
was later changed to allow the founding of a National Geologic Trail in
2009. As of early 2014, there are 19 National Historic Trails, 11 National
Scenic Trails, two National and Connecting Side Trails and one National
Geologic Trail. Several federal land management agencies have been charged
with the designation, development and oversight of natural and cultural
trails. These include the Bureau of Land Management, the National Forest
Service, and the National Park Service (Kimball, 1997; Seher, 1991). In addi-
tion to the historic, scenic and geologic trails, the National Trails System
Act has also enabled the more recent creation of more than 1100 National
Recreation Trails and a growing number of National Water Trails (Dolesh,
2003), as well as the overlapping notion of the commemorative Millennium
Trails (Olson, 2001).

Canadian Heritage Rivers System
A linear landscape that has received less attention in this topic, but which
is still an important recreation and tourism space is rivers (Prideaux et al. ,
2009). Canada is one of a handful of countries that has recognized the impor-
tance of preserving heritage rivers. They were integral as transport and trad-
ing routes in the past, and at present they are deemed to have high natural
and human heritage value, as well as being recreation and tourism spaces for
Canadians and foreigners. When it was established in 1984, the Canadian