ETEC - Recreation, Parks and Trails - City of Oak Ridge, Clinch Valley Trail Alliance (CVTA) & Oak Ridge Greenways

Description

Join us at ETEC in-person or virtually on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 7:30am to hear from the City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department, Clinch Valley Trail Alliance (CVTA) & Oak Ridge Greenways. 

Program Details: Providing parks, trails and greenways in a community takes teamwork and partnerships. Our speakers will introduce you to three of the organizations that make it happen in Oak Ridge! City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director, Jon Hetrick, manages the city’s numerous parks, trails open spaces and facilities. Clinch Valley Trail Alliance President, Doug Bataille, leads the volunteer organization that helps maintain and build trails at Haw Ridge Park, North Boundary and Norris Dam State Park. Jeff Gilpin is the Chair of the Oak Ridge Greenway Committee. This volunteer organization works with neighborhood groups, clubs, civic organizations, and the city to determine the need, feasibility, and funding strategy for greenways in Oak Ridge.

More information is below.

No registration is necessary for in-person attendance.

Register in advance for the VIRTUAL #ETEConline meeting here: https://tennessee.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrd-CgrDMiHNTsDsHqH0FyubCh2ys57LzH#/registration 

For more information about ETEC’s weekly meetings, click here. 

Visit the Find Us page for the meeting location, address, and map.

The City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department
The City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department provides and maintains a wide array of programs, facilities, and natural spaces to offer leisure activities for residents and visitors. The department manages over 85 miles of trails, numerous parks, over 1,275 acres of Greenbelt Districts, the Civic Center, Outdoor Pool, Senior Center and the Centennial Golf Course.

     Mission and overview
The department's mission is to plan, organize, supervise, and coordinate a wide range of leisure activities for the community. It also ensures that all its facilities are well-maintained and safe for public use. Program opportunities are designed for all age groups and are coordinated with local organizations to maximize impact and avoid duplication.

The Clinch Valley Trail Alliance (CVTA)
The Clinch Valley Trail Alliance (CVTA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and preserving sustainable, multi-use trails in Oak Ridge and the surrounding areas of East Tennessee. A chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA), CVTA advocates for the outdoor community and organizes volunteer trail workdays, events and group rides. CVTA maintains trails at Haw Ridge, North Boundary and Norris Dam State Park.

     Mission and goals
Stewardship: The organization works to maintain and improve existing trail systems, ensuring they are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Advocacy: CVTA represents the interests of hikers, bikers, and trail runners, advocating for trail access and development in the region. Partnerships: It collaborates with groups such as the City of Oak Ridge and Tennessee State Parks to manage and grow trail networks.

The Oak Ridge Greenways Committee
The Oak Ridge Greenways Committee is a volunteer citizens' group dedicated to planning, developing, and maintaining a citywide system of trails and greenways. Formed in 1992, the committee aims to connect the city's parks, schools, neighborhoods, and commercial areas using natural corridors.

     Mission and principles
The committee's mission is rooted in three core principles, which carry forward the city's historic greenbelt tradition: Use of natural corridors: Greenways are designed to follow existing natural pathways, such as floodplains and utility rights-of-way, to minimize disruption to private property. Interconnected loops: The master plan envisions a network of interconnected loops that provide continuous paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Connection to community assets: The greenways are strategically planned to link areas of value to residents, such as neighborhoods, schools, parks, and cultural centers.

Clinch Valley Trail Alliance
Doug Bataille, President

Doug is a retired parks and recreation professional that serves as the President of Clinch Valley Trail Alliance, on the City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, and as the state representative for the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. The Clinch Valley Trail Alliance is an all-volunteer organization that helps maintain and build sustainable shared-use trails at Haw Ridge Park, North Boundary and Norris Dam State Park. The Alliance works closely with the City of Oak Ridge in providing trail access to walkers, runners, and mountain bikers along with providing races, events and weekly group rides. Volunteers log over 1,000 hours of trial work and leadership every year.

Oak Ridge Greenways Committee
Jeff Gilpin, Chair 

Jeff is an Oak Ridge resident and engineer who has worked on the environmental cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation for the past 30 years.  Jeff is also one of the original members of a citizen group tasked by the Oak Ridge City Council in the early 1990s to develop a plan for creating a city-wide greenway system.  This group grew into the organization that is now called Greenways Oak Ridge of which Jeff is the co-chair.  Jeff and the other members of Greenways Oak Ridge are committed to expanding, maintaining, and preserving Oak Ridge’s world-class greenways in ways that will meet the recreational needs our community now and well into the future.
Jeff (of course) enjoys walking, hiking, and biking on the incredibly diverse and beautiful greenways, trails, and other green spaces, for which our city is so blessed.

City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department
Jon Hetrick, Director

Find information about Jon Hetrick on the City Website and LinkedIn.

This month's ETEC Friday Morning Meeting Series are sponsored by TRISO-X.