Mercer County Metropolitan Planning Organization may have redirected money intended to help pay for a trail between Sandy Lake and Stoneboro, but the project is far from dead, organizers said.

Although Parke Wentling of Mercer County Trails Association and Lee McCoy of Sandy Lake Conservancy spoke of being shocked and surprised by the MPO’s decision in May to pull federal funding for the trail and give the money to the Shenango Valley Bikeway project, they spoke before the MPO Tuesday with tones of optimism.

“It will get done sometime in the future,” McCoy said.

The trail project has been around for years, and the conservancy had received a $283,000 grant for the work.

However, federal rules have changed, said Daniel Gracenin, executive director of Mercer County Regional Planning Commission. The federal government no longer allows transportation enhancement grants to sit around for years until the money can be spent.

The Bikeway project turned out to be more costly than anticipated and was ready to go to bid, MPO members said in explaining their actions.

The conservancy was going to lose the money anyway if it wasn’t spent this year, Gracenin said.

Gracenin said he knows the rules change hurts small organizations that have to rely on volunteers to deal with legal and technical issues, when a municipality could choose to hire engineers and lawyers to handle the technical work.

The MPO’s action killed the project as far as the MPO is concerned, but there is nothing stopping the conservancy and the trails association from continuing to work, and they could apply for TE funds in the future.

McCoy said the project had been delayed recently in trying to set the path around the industrial section of Sandy Lake, which required extensive discussions with business owners. He said he believes the discussions have led to a better proposed path than was previously planned.

“It’s a great trail,” he said.

McCoy asked for a letter from the MPO outlining its decision-making process so he can explain to conservancy members what happened.

Wentling said trail planners should have been notified of the impending cut.

Wentling, noting that the bikeway project’s low bid came in below PennDOT’s estimate, asked if that additional money can be reassigned to the Sandy Lake-Stoneboro trail.

Mariah Hanson of PennDOT said the additional money will be eaten up by inspection fees.