BETHEL – A crowd of Bethel area business owners, school and municipal officials gained a better understanding on Wednesday morning of how recreational trails can stimulate economic growth.

Bethel and Newry officials are involved in recreational trail development to connect the two Western Maine communities

Olympic biatholon skier and coach John Morton and David Lindahl of Morton Trails LLC, a recreational trail design firm, conducted a PowerPoint presentation at the Bethel Chamber of Commerce’s networking breakfast at the Bethel Inn and Country Club.

Both discussed how recreational amenities enhance real estate values, the appeal of high quality trails to retiring baby boomers, and experiences with integrating trails into subdivisions and land development plans.

Lindahl said officials and business owners should be ready to capitalize on the incoming “Silver Tsunami,” the shift of 60- to 64-year-old baby boomers who are expected to move to nonmetropolitan areas from 2010 through 2020.

“More and more are going to places that have scenic amenities like woods, mountains and the highest percentages of seasonal homes,” he said. “This potential demographic edge of people is just starting to move … and these people like trails.”

Citing a 2007 population migration trend study by Middlebury College Professor Peter Nelson, Lindahl said Bethel is one of the places Nelson highlighted and is researching.

“Trails are the No. 1 amenity influencing homeowners aged 55 and up. Access to trails and green space, it beat out golf clubs and swimming pools. Walking and jogging trails were the No. 1 amenity when people considered buying a house and, this trend has been increasing over the last few decades,” he said.

Interest in trails also increases with income to nearly 70 percent for people paying more than $250,000 for homes, Lindahl said.

He explained similarities between Methow Valley, Wash., and Bethel regarding driving time from major cities like Seattle and Boston. Methow Valley, he added, has North America’s second largest Nordic ski trail network, which sees four-season use.

Citing a Methow Valley economic impact study, Lindahl said 42 percent of the area’s business revenues were generated from trail revenues in the summer while winter revenues were 44 percent.

Morton gave an overview of design principles for quality sport trails, saying they must be safe in all kinds of conditions, fun and interesting, serve multiple uses, and be an integrated component of the community.

“Design a trail as a series of destinations to keep people interested,” Morton said.