The Fiordland Trails Trust’s plans to complete the Lake2Lake Trail have been given a boost, thanks to the Les Hutchins Conservation Foundation.
The Lake2Lake Trail runs from Te Anau to Manapouri; the majority of the 28km being off-road. However, to complete the full trail, currently users must travel on the State Highway for 2km.
The Fiordland Trails Trust has put forward plans to complete the trail, creating an off-road section between Supply Bay Road and Balloon Loop. However, before the plans to connect the trail can move forward, an ecological assessment is required to outline any ecological impact of the proposed new section of track.
The Les Hutchins Conservation Foundation, a foundation set up to support both nature-based programmes and conservation, has supported FTT with a $15,000 grant towards the ecological assessment.
Fiordland Trails Trust Chair David Boniface says the grant is a huge boost to the Trust’s work to progress the trail completion.
“The Trust is very aware of our obligations of looking after the environment that makes the Lake2Lake Trail so special, and the ecological assessment is an important step for us as we seek to complete the trail,” he says.
“This important work is not inexpensive, so the support of the Les Hutchins Conservation Foundation is both immensely valuable and genuinely appreciated.”
“While we are still seeking further funding before this work commences, this is a fantastic boost and we are really excited about progressing with the report.”
The Lake2Lake Trail, in its current form, attracts tens of thousands of bikers, runners, walkers and other trail users annually. The Fiordland Trails Trust is confident that completing the trail will only add to that, and support positive environmental, social, and economic impacts for the Fiordland area.
