Actually, numerous studies have shown that trail construction results in very positive economic development impacts: http://www.americantrails.org/resources/economics/economic-benefits-trai.... I would guess the ROI will be quite high, and $72,000 is a deal for over 1 mi of graded trail. Seems that folks would welcome the opportunity to leverage federal funds in order to create a community asset that not only offers quality of life benefits, but could also attract visitors who will spend money in Pender County.