FLORENCE – On July 18, Shoals residents are invited to participate in a community engagement event to help the Tennessee RiverLine team define next steps for North America’s next great regional trail system. Called 652 to YOU, the community engagement event will be from 5-7 p.m. in the Singing River Room of the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa.
Designed to give residents an opportunity to share feedback and ideas on river access and usage in the community through fun activities, the 652 to YOU event is a way to listen, learn, and given input to help shape the direction of the Tennessee RiverLine in the Shoals. Register to attend here.
“We are hoping to see a diverse group of community members attend the meeting, from community leaders and business owners, to recreation enthusiasts and students from local school systems, Northwest-Shoals Community College, and UNA,” said Dr. Carrie Barske, the director of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, which is housed on the UNA campus. “The more diverse the group, the more we have an opportunity to learn from one another about how the Tennessee RiverLine can benefit our community.”
The Tennessee RiverLine is a vision for North America’s next great regional trail system, which will become a 652-mile trail along the Tennessee River that includes the Shoals. The 652 to YOU project is named for the length of the trail. In May, the Shoals was selected as one of the five 2019 Tennessee RiverLine Pilot Communities, a program designed to bring expertise, ideas, and insight from communities into the ongoing development of the Tennessee RiverLine.
While in the Shoals, the Tennessee RiverLine team will also tour the area, meet with community leaders and advocates, and have a river clean-up. Community members are invited to participate in the river clean-up on July 18 from 9 a.m. until noon at Sheffield Riverfront Park, at 1416 Alabama Avenue. 
“The development of the RiverLine in the Shoals will build upon the prosperity of our community – something that so many other cities and communities crave to attract new investment and talent,” said Rob Carnegie, the president and CEO of the Florence/Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tennessee River watershed residents and friends who are unable to attend the events, may provide feedback and ideas on the Tennessee RiverLine using an interactive survey at www.tnriverline.org/riverusage.
This summer, the Tennessee RiverLine team will be traveling to all five pilot communities, which include Benton County, Tenn.; Roane County, Tenn.; Bridgeport, Ala.; and Paducah/McCracken County, Ky.
Media Release/
