The Greene County Trails Committee has been informed of two local events -- one for canoeing, and one for bicycling.

A canoe trip along the lower portion of the Nolichucky River is planned for Saturday, Sept. 18, according to William Nissley, watershed development coordinator for the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance.

The trip will start in the parking area just below the Nolichucky Dam, Nissley said, and will include a stop at Still Hollow Farm, an agricultural tourist attraction owned by Jay and Ann Birdwell on West Allens Bridge Road.

He said participants will need to provide their own canoes for the trip.

For more information, please contact Nissley at 525-4652 or (wnissley@gmail.com)

Nissley also presented a draft last Wednesday of the new Nolichucky Blueway Paddling Guide, which gives details of a four-hour float on the upper portion of the river, from the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park to Kinser Bridge.

The cycling event is planned in conjunction with the Greene County Partnership's seventh annual Aussie Fall Fest Chillin' & Grillin,' according to Chris Gunter, owner of Wheel Sports.

The Aussie Fall Fest Chillin' & Grillin' will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, in downtown Greeneville.

Three bicycle routes will be provided, designed for different fitness levels, according to Gunter's plans.

The planned route lengths are 5 miles, 15-25 miles and 40-45 miles, he said.

The routes likely will begin downtown and travel throughout parts of Greeneville and Greene County, according to Gunter.

The cycling event will serve as a fundraiser for the Jeff Ross Cycling Foundation in Maryville, which promotes safe cycling.

The foundation also promotes education for motorists about the requirements of the Jeff Roth and Brian Brown Protection Act, Gunter said.

Roth and Brown were killed in separate accidents when the bikes they were riding were struck by motorists in Maryville and near Martin, respectively, the website says.

A state law signed on May 3, 2007, by Gov. Phil Bredesen, says, "The operator of a motor vehicle when overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, shall leave a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet and shall maintain such clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle."

A violation is considered a Class C misdemeanor, according to the website.

"That is a law that is on the books that nobody knows about," Gunter told the committee.

Volunteers are needed to seek donations for the cycling event, Gunter said. Needs include T-shirts and food for riders and drivers to operate assistance vehicles, he said.

"It's going to take commitment within the next week to make this happen," Gunter said.

For more information, contact Gunter at Wheel Sports on Bernard Avenue, at 638-1570.

Committee members also discussed the design of a new local trails website.

Tammy Kinser, GCP tourism director, said she is working with the Tombras Group for design of the website.

It will feature maps of the "Trails of Greene County," organized by their types of use.

Specific trails to be identified on the website are the Civil War Trail, the Sunny Side Trail and the Quilt Trail, according to Kinser.

The committee also reviewed a new brochure of the 14-mile Civil War Bike Trail in the Mohawk/McDonald area of western Greene County.

The color brochure features a map of the trail, with churches and other landmarks along the way.

The bike trail covers an area where the "Pottertown Bridge-Burners" were active during the Civil War.

Kinser said she also is working on a brochure about the Top-30 Day Trips from Greeneville.