Great Rivers Greenway District

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Created in November of 2000 by public initiatives, the Great Rivers Greenway District is a public program funded by a sales tax of a tenth of a cent on every dollar.

It is charged with coordinating a number of greenways in St. Louis, Missouri. These greenways are being connected into what the program calls the River Ring.

The Great Rivers Greenway District was created in November, 2000 by the passage of Proposition C in the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, Missouri. Prop C created a one tenth of one cent sales tax devoted to the creation of an interconnected system of greenways, parks and trails. The Greenway District does not have oversight over existing parks and recreation areas, but rather works to develop linear connections to connect to existing or planned parks.

A ten member Board of Directors representing the three counties governs the distribution of funds for developing the River Ring, the system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails. An Executive Director and staff carry out the development of the River Ring, working with local, county and state agencies as well as private and non-profit agencies throughout the St. Louis region.

In 2003, the Great Rivers Greenway District developed "Building the River Ring: A Citizen- Driven Regional Plan" to establish a long-term vision for the St. Louis region. Working with citizens, local governments, private companies, non-profit organizations and advocacy groups, the Plan identified a system of 40+ greenways comprising over 600 miles of greenways and trails throughout the three counties. Named the River Ring, the concept is designed to raise awareness of the natural beauty found in the region's many rivers and streams and to reconnect residents to the primary natural feature resulting in the City's founding, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.