Senator Portman Tours Cleveland’s Towpath Trail and Flats with Canalway Partners and Community Leaders

CLEVELAND, OH – Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) toured Cleveland’s Towpath Trail and the Flats with Canalway Partners and other community leaders to highlight recent and near-term developments in the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area that are contributing to economic development, community health and wellness, and tourism in the Industrial Cuyahoga River Valley. As part of his visit, the Senator also viewed the future site of Canal Basin Park and stopped at The Foundry, a community sailing and rowing center, where he toured the facility and met with community leaders to discuss development plans for the area along the Cuyahoga riverfront.

“I appreciate Canalway Partners for hosting our visit today. It was exciting to see the latest developments and projects within and around the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage area,” said Portman. “The canal holds great significance to the state of Ohio, from helping our early towns and communities prosper to linking our state to the rest of the nation and I am proud to be one of the 2.5 million visitors who enjoy the canal’s towpath trail each year. I was pleased to visit Camp Cleveland and see the recently completed section of the Towpath Trail and see firsthand the regional significance of the project and important connection to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.”

The Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area generates $408 million annually in economic impact and supports 3,200 jobs. Earlier this year, Senator Portman and Senator Brown (D-OH) introduced legislation to extend the funding authorization for the heritage area an additional 15 years, through 2036, and increase the funding cap by $10 million.

Portman, a lifelong outdoorsman and a frequent visitor to Ohio’s national parks, has long been a leader in the U.S. Senate to protect our national parks and public lands. His bipartisan Restore Our Parks Act was signed into law last year as part of the Great American Outdoors Act, landmark conservation legislation to address the deferred maintenance backlog at national parks and across all public lands. The Great American Outdoors Act also provided permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In November 2020, Portman received the National Park Foundation Hero Award for his extraordinary service and commitment to the betterment of our national parks. He has previously received the Friend of Industry Award for his leadership on the Restore Our Parks Act, the National Park Foundation’s Centennial Champion Award for his work on the National Park Service Centennial Act, the 2012 NPCA Centennial Award, the 2015 Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Centennial Leader Award.

Photos from the event are below:

 

 

 

 

 

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