Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting for the Times Union the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association, a group working to develop a rail trail through eastern Dutchess and Columbia counties has received a $375,000 state grant to plan the trail's next leg. The Harlem Valley rail trail was first conceived of in the mid-1980s. It currently stretches along the foothills of the Taconic Mountains from Wassaic in Dutchess County north to Copake Falls in Columbia County. “We are thrilled to be the recipient of this important grant, which will further our goal of a continuous, paved trail from Wassaic to Chatham,” said Dick Hermans, chair of the association. “We are excited to be creating new partnerships in the communities that this section of trail will pass through.” The grant and matching funds should make the project shovel-ready, but additional funds must be raised to cover the cost of the trail's construction. The final concept is a 46-mile continuous trail from Wassaic to Chatham, 26 miles of which are already in place. The grant will be used to design a section beginning in the village of Philmont. Read the full story in the Times Union.