Thursday, July 17, 2008
Pike County Judge Executive Proposes Man Made Whitewater Rafting At The Breaks.
Breaks Interstate Park –The Russell Fork may not be the only local place to go whitewater rafting in the future, if a project proposed by Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and Pike County Economic Development Director John Gatling becomes a reality.
Rutherford and Gatling want to build a manmade river with the capacity to shift from Class II to Class IV rapids in a matter of minutes at the Potters Flats section of the Breaks Interstate Park. They presented their proposal to the Breaks Board of Directors on Wednesday, July 16.
“This (a manufactured whitewater course) is just the type of attraction this park needs to skyrocket tourism in this area,” Rutherford said.
The construction of the river and additional rock climbing venues, said Rutherford, combined with the Breaks’ hiking and biking trails already in existence, would make the Breaks Interstate Park a premier adventure sports destination.
The concept is consistent with Governor Beshear’s focus on tourism in the Commonwealth, and with the Adventure Tourism Bill recently passed by the legislature, which seeks to make the Commonwealth a tourist destination for bikers, hikers, campers, fishermen, hunters, off-roaders and horseback riders.
Rutherford and Gatling want to build a manmade river with the capacity to shift from Class II to Class IV rapids in a matter of minutes at the Potters Flats section of the Breaks Interstate Park. They presented their proposal to the Breaks Board of Directors on Wednesday, July 16.
“This (a manufactured whitewater course) is just the type of attraction this park needs to skyrocket tourism in this area,” Rutherford said.
The construction of the river and additional rock climbing venues, said Rutherford, combined with the Breaks’ hiking and biking trails already in existence, would make the Breaks Interstate Park a premier adventure sports destination.
The concept is consistent with Governor Beshear’s focus on tourism in the Commonwealth, and with the Adventure Tourism Bill recently passed by the legislature, which seeks to make the Commonwealth a tourist destination for bikers, hikers, campers, fishermen, hunters, off-roaders and horseback riders.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 12:17 PM 
