The Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority has some major plans for 2009, including three new trails, more dirt bike trails and a UTV park.

Deputy Director John Fekete updated the board on the projects of the Field Operations Committee.

Fekete is still trying to find a viable route at the Fountain Place Plaza for a connector route that would hook up with the new lodge at Chief Logan State Park.

"There are so many landowners around that area, and that makes it difficult," Fekete explained, saying he wants to get the connector project done this year.

The project was announced over a year ago, when West Virginia Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin requested a connector that would connect the new multi-million lodge facility with the trail system. The original plan would have gone around the park and connected behind the lodge on a mountain, coming out in the West Logan area. At one point, a trio of different sites were being looked at, before the nature of the project changed with the proposal of moving the trail connector from the West Logan area to the Fountain Place Plaza.

Fekete said the Twin Falls connector at Mullens has a route and maps have been delivered to the property owners.

"It won't be a huge build," Fekete said. Mapping agreements are prepared for the Harts area and the connector in that area may be done this spring, Fekete told board members. Agreements for the Indian Ridge-Pinnacle Creek connector need to be signed and construction work on that project is expected to be of minimal difficulty.

The Buffalo Mountain road crossing is waiting on a tunnel and construction should begin this summer.

"We only have a few land owners, so I would like to sign licensing agreements soon," Fekete said.

Fekete and Executive Director Jeff Lusk discussed a proposed UTV park for Boone County as well as extra miles of dirt track trails for motorcycles in Mingo County.

Board member George Pool discussed the tunnel needed.

The board approved 10-12 miles for a UTV park on the Little Coal River this spring.

Matewan has asked for it's trail system to be expanded and Fekete is currently working on expansions for a new Boone County ATV trail system and a Madison trail system.

Authority Director Jeff Lusk said he hoped to get Mercer County done this year, but the County Commission there had not picked a site yet.

"Several communities in Mercer County have expressed an interest in it," he said. Lusk and Fekete have a meeting with the town council in Keystone soon to discuss a project there.