President’s Message: 2026 Summit, Sanford Board Meeting Recap
Ned Baier, AICP
FGTF President
By Ned Baier, AICP
President, Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation
After more than two decades of advocating for the development of a statewide system of greenways and trails in the state of Florida, the Florida Greenways & Trail Foundation (FGTF) continues to gain momentum.
Consider these milestones:
In 2026, FGTF will celebrate its 25th year.
This year, the Florida Shared-Use Non-Motorized Trail (SUN Trail) program is celebrating its 10th anniversary with more that 1,500 miles completed to date in its aspirational statewide 5,000-mile network.
Florida has more than 15,000 miles of greenways and trails planned statewide. Today, FGTF is expanding our efforts to work with state agencies, environmental foundations, and other partners to identify opportunities to expand connections to the Florida Wildlife Corridor .
As I enter my third year as president of the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation, let me share highlights of our current and future activities for the year ahead as we carry out our mission. Thank you for the opportunity to lead FGTF and your support.
2026 FGTF Greenways & Trails Summit, the Sequel
Not a week goes by without someone asking me when the next Florida Greenways & Trails Summit will take place. It’s official! November 2026 in Venice, Florida. Stay tuned for more details!
New FGTF LinkedIn Page
At FGTF, our connection with the trail community is key to our success and the success of greenways and trails across the state of Florida. To that end, we have launched our new LinkedIn page to enhance that connection. Check it out here and follow us! Our goal is to become a greater resource for news and information to help support the important work being done by our partners.
FGTF Board of Directors
New FGTF Board Members
This is a top priority of mine. Expanding and diversifying the makeup of the 12-person FGTF Board will help provide new perspectives on greenway and trail issues. On that note, I am excited to welcome Alex Freeze, Brandyn Littleton, and Kelly Morphy to the board. As board president, I am also aiming to add to our visibility and volunteer base in South Florida and Jacksonville. Read more about our board here.
FGTF on the Road
I have made it a priority for myself and encouraged other board members to accept invitations to speak about FGTF and Florida’s greenways and trails. I find it so rewarding and fun to share the story! Recently, at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation’s Corridor Connect conference at Disney Springs, FGTF Board Vice President Kim DeLaney presented findings from a statewide study led by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on the economic benefits of greenways and trails and Trail Towns in Florida. In September, at the annual Florida American Planning Association conference in Daytona Beach, I am scheduled to present “The Planning Pipeline: Greenways and Trails” and Kim DeLaney will be presenting again on the economic benefits. FGTF Board Member Charlie Johnson is producing a video interview with Kim and me in August for the American Society of Landscape Architects for CEU credits. The topics of conversation may include SUN Trail, planning, design, economics, partners involved in the process, maintenance, and more. I have also made several presentations to the FDEP Greenways and Trails Council. More presentations are in planning!
Strengthening FGTF Presence in South Florida: Here We Come Jupiter
A top priority of mine. I am very excited to announce that FGTF has scheduled its October in-person board meeting in beautiful Jupiter, Florida — the first in-person board meeting in South Florida. This meeting will once again coincide with FDEP’s Florida Greenways and Trails Council meeting. A combined reception will provide an opportunity to network and exchange ideas for trail projects across the state. The meeting in Jupiter will also coincide with a ribbon cutting on a new segment of the East Coast Greenway in Jupiter. See us in Jupiter October 8–10. We are on the lookout for new volunteers and board members on the east coast of Florida. Stay tuned.
FGTF Sanford Board Meeting Recap
Our board held our first of two annual in-person board meetings in Sanford, Florida, July 10–11. Thank you to our sponsors, the Smoke Rise Foundation and Dewberry. A special thank you to Seminole County Commissioner and MetroPlan Orlando Board Chairman Bob Dallari for participating and being such a great host, and State Senator Jason Brodeur for his participation and support for SUN Trail and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. We continued with the FGTF’s past practice of providing time at in-person board meetings around the state to learn about local and regional trail projects and items of statewide interest. We had fun at an evening reception attended by over 50 people at Hollerbach’s in the Trail Town of Sanford.
The following are brief updates on presentations that were made at the board meeting.
Equestrian Interests on Greenways and Trails
Deborah Tyrone represented the equestrian community at the FGTF Board meeting, joined by Karen Pando from Back Country Horsemen of America and Ed O’Conner from Cross Florida Greenway Equestrians. FGTF looks forward to working with the equestrian community on trail plans for horses.
Fun fact: Florida’s horse population ranks third in the country.
Lake-to-Lake Trail Update
FGTF served as the catalyst for a Lake-to-Lake (Lake Monroe to Lake Okeechobee) concept study with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation matching our financial support. The Felburn Foundation recently expanded this effort with a contribution to further support the project. Because FGTF doesn’t have official standing in the state-approved process for planning and building a regional trail, FGTF’s work must be passed on to the counties and regional agencies to go through the necessary steps with FDEP and FDOT. A similar approach was used for the Coast-to-Coast Trail. FGTF is aiming to complete the study by the end of 2025. More information about this exciting project can be found here.
Former FGTF President Dale Allen, who is spearheading the study, reviewed the history of this 150-mile project and the research phase that resulted in a fascinating story map created by FGTF Board Member Brandyn Littleton. The results have been shared with leaders in Seminole, Orange, Osceola, and Okeechobee counties and with several regional entities. Letters of support have been received from Seminole County, Orange County, Osceola County, the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, MetroPlan Orlando, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, United Global Outreach/Transformation Village in Bithlo, and Bike/Walk Central Florida. FGTF thanks Dale Allen for his energy, passion, and vison leading this project on behalf of the FGTF.
SUN Trail Update
FGTF Board Member Charlie Johnson provided a brief update on a statewide FDOT SUN Trail inventory that has just been completed by Kimley-Horn. Senate Bill 106 mandated that an inventory be prepared every three years as part of FDOT’s SUN Trail reporting requirements to the Florida Legislature. The inventory is now undergoing an internal review by FDOT before being submitted to the legislature in 2026.
Spotlight on Central Florida Trail Projects
Rick Durr, Seminole County’s manager of Greenways and Natural Lands, summarized the status of Seminole County’s Trails Master Plan and reported on a 26-mile loop around Lake Monroe involving both Seminole and Volusia counties.
Jeff Shepherd, board director of the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance in Volusia County, provided a progress report on this ambitious 260-mile trail project and FGTF Board Director Tim Baylie provided a broader overview of Volusia County’s evolving trail network, including the Spring-to-Spring Trail’s estimated completion in 2028.
Patrick Panza, programs director at Bike/WalkCentral Florida, provided an update on the five programs they have underway, including the Best Foot Forward program, which is focused on improving the effectiveness of pedestrian crosswalks, now serving 10 counties.
Laurie Dolan, FDEP environmental specialist II, provided an overview of the Majorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. While a tremendous natural resource with an abundance of wildlife, there is development-related pressure on the greenway from utilities and commercial forms of recreation. The greenway is part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
As always, it’s an honor leading the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation as president. Happy trails!
