Connect People to the Outdoors in New England

Connect People to the Outdoorsin New England

Report to the National Park Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Commission on Land Conservation of the New England Governors’ Conference, Inc.

November 2011

Working draft 11.14.11Not for Publication

Prepared in accordance with NPS Task Agreement P11AT40469 under Cooperative Agreement PR R4531 11 0726 between the U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Northeast Region, and the University of Maine. The US EPA Region I’s New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine provided additional support and is prepared to help advance the report and its recommendations. Richard Barringer, principal investigator, expresses deep ap-preciation to Dr. Mary Foley, Regional Chief Scientist for the National Park Service, for her continuing support and guidance; and, as well, to Peter Weed of HutchinsWeed of Portland ME, who is responsible for layout and design, and for whatever in this report is found to be of aesthetic value.

Cover photos, clockwise for top left. 1: The new Lake Champlain Bridge between Crown Point NY and Chimney Point VT (Courtesy HNTB and CVNHP) 2: Biking along the Causeway, Lake Champlain VT (Courtesy Local Motion) 3: Learning to cast, Riverside Park, Hartford CT (Courtesy CT DEEP) 4: Local Youth Learn To Paddle the Androscoggin (Courtesy Daryn Slover)

Connect People to the Outdoors in New EnglandReport to the National Park Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Commission on Land Conservation of the New England Governors’ Conference, Inc.

Richard Barringer, Principal Investigator

U.S. EPA New England Environmental Finance CenterEdmund S. Muskie School of Public Service

University of Southern MainePortland ME 04104-9300

November 2011

Working draft 11.14.11

Not for Publication

“Americans are blessed with a vast and varied natural heritage.… Our working landscapes, cultural sites, parks, coasts, wild lands, rivers and streams are gifts that we have inherited from previous generations.… Americans take pride in these places, and share a responsibility to preserve them for our children and grandchildren…. Today, however, we are losing touch with too many of the places and proud traditions that have helped to make America special. Farms, ranches, forests, and other valuable natural resources are disappearing at an alarming rate. Families are spending less time together enjoying their natural surroundings. Despite our conservation efforts, too many of our fields are becoming fragmented, too many of our rivers and streams are becoming polluted, and we are losing our connection to the parks, wild places, and open spaces we grew up with and cherish….”

President Barack Obama,

on the “America’s Great Outdoors” initiative, The White House, April 2010

“Americans today are calling for a 21st-century approach to conservation. That approach must help us to protect the places and the resources that we value. It must help us achieve greater health and well-being as individuals and as a nation. It must also recognize the economic challenges we face as a government and a nation. We must be wise in how we spend taxpayer dollars, and also recognize the significant economic benefits produced by protecting and restoring our natural and cultural heritage and by promoting outdoor recreation and land stewardship. Today, Americans recognize that pitting a healthy environment against a healthy economy is a false choice – we must and can have both. By investing in our natural wealth and heritage, we can create jobs associated with recreation and land stewardship, while passing on a vital natural legacy to our children and grandchildren.”

America’s Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations,

First Report to the President, February 2011

Contents

Background 6

Summary 8

Recommendations for Action 10

Regional Map and the Seven Pathways 11

1. Androscoggin River 12

2. Blackstone River 17

3. Champlain Valley 21

4. Connecticut River 26

5. East Coast Greenway 32

6. Merrimack River 35

7. Northern Forest Canoe Trail 39

Appendices:

A. List of Contributors 43

B. Comparison of Pathway Outcomes to America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) and NEGC/CLC Connect People to the Outdoors (CPO) Goals 44

C. Selections from New England State SCORPs, Etc. 46

This public document may be downloaded from http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs and reproduced and quoted with cita-tion of the source. The copyrighted map by Richard D. Kelly, Jr. on Page 11 may be used with permission.

6 Connect People to the Outdoors in New England

Background. In its report of July 2010, the blue-ribbon Commission on Land Conservation (CLC) of the New England Governors’ Conference,

Inc. (NEGC) recommended pursuit of five related, New England-wide initiatives, including one to Connect People to the Outdoors.1 In response, and by their unanimous Resolu-tion 200 of July 12, 2010, the six New England governors authorized the CLC to continue development of this initiative, which anticipated and closely parallels President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative.

The “basic tenet” of the AGO initiative is that “the fed-eral government must be a better partner and supporter of local conservation efforts. It must empower communities to realize their conservation goals through technical assistance, access to resources, and science for sound decision-making. It must maximize conservation benefits from taxpayer dollars, catalyze private sector investment, and reconnect with and engage Americans about the importance of our outdoor resources.” Its overall goal is to “reconnect Ameri-cans, especially children, to America’s rivers and waterways, landscapes of national significance, ranches, farms and forests, great parks, and coasts and beaches.”2

As the first decade of the 21st Century closed, the U.S.

Centers for Disease Control reported shocking statistics concerning the condition and long-term health prospects of America’s youth.3 It summarized a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): “The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6–11 more than doubled in the past 20 years, from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17.0 in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12–19 more than tripled, from 5.0 percent to 17.6.”

The CDC lists the percent of overweight and obese youth in 2009 by state. For New England it reports: Maine, 27.6 percent; New Hampshire, 25.7; Vermont, 25.8; Massachusetts, 27.6; Rhode Island, 27.1; and Con-necticut, 24.9. More than one in four New England youth is overweight or obese. A 2001 JAMA report on health risk factors states that “overweight and obesity, influenced by physical inactivity and poor diet, are significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health status.”

Similarly, the 2008 U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Com-mittee Report states that “physical inactivity increases the risk of dying prematurely, dying of heart disease, and devel-oping diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure”. The American Diabetes Association reports that, “The number of Americans with diagnosed diabetes is projected to in-crease 165 percent, from 11 million in 2000 (prevalence of 4.0 percent) to 29 million in 2050 (prevalence of 7.2).”4

The lack of physical activity is clearly a factor in these looming outcomes. Exercise and diet are the keys to good health. In the The Boston Globe of June 27, 2011, writer Deborah Kotz cites a multitude of studies that correlate exercise and health, and evidence that individuals need the equivalent of walking 5 miles a day for good health. Just one-quarter of American adults enjoy recommended levels of physical activity, and 29 percent report no physical activity during leisure hours.5 As a result, health condi-tions related to obesity and overweight cost Americans an estimated $117 billion each year.

Access to parks and greenspace will be an important part of the solution to the obesity-driven American health crisis, as many studies show. The American Journal of Preventa-tive Medicine found that “creation of or enhanced access to places for physical activity combined with informational

Background, Summary, Recommendations for Action

1 See Blue Ribbon Commission on Land Conservation, 2010 Report to the Governors, New England Governors’ Conference, Inc, and the related NEGC Resolution 200 of July 12, 2010, at www.negc.org. The four related initiatives recommended by the CLC and endorsed by the governors, in addition to Connect People to the Outdoors, are Keep Farmlands in Farming, Keep Forests as Forests, Protect Wildlife Habitat, and Safeguard Coastal and Estuarine Lands in the face of climate change. The goals for the five initiatives are to (1) make the region’s working lands more financially viable and convert their public benefits from liabilities to assets; (2) enhance economic, environmental, and social resilience across the region, to create more prosperous and sustainable industries and communities; (3) educate the general public to the many public benefits of the landscape and its wise use, and cultivate a conservation ethic as an active duty of citizenship; and (4) make the landscape with all its benefits more accessible to underserved populations, and our settled places more livable and healthy.2 America’s Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations, First Report to the President, February 2011, P. 4, at www.americasgreatoutdoors.gov3 http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/facts.htm4 http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/11/1936.long5 Erica Gies, The Health Benefits of Parks, The Trust for Public Land , San Francisco CA, 2006.

Report to the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior 7

outreach” increased physical activity among respondents by more than 48 percent, resulting in increased aerobic capacity, weight loss, reduction in body fat, and other positive health benefits. The link between health and parks is illustrated by Little Rock’s “Medical Mile”, a riverfront park created by a $2.1 million fundraising campaign led by the doctors at an adjacent heart clinic.6

This looming public health crisis has captured the at-tention of many, as the media, elected officials, educators, healthcare providers, and business and community leaders give it heightened attention. Beyond the federal and state agencies directly associated with human health, the Obama Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative and the six New England states’ Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORPs) all contain policy recommen-dations aimed at getting people outdoors for recreation, exercise, education, and good health.7 Providing close-to-home parks, trails, and accessible waterways, especially in

urban settings, creates opportunity and incentive for physi-cal activity and good health.

At a press briefing on June 24, 2011, U.S. EPA Ad-ministrator Lisa P. Jackson joined with ten high officials of the Obama Administration to announce a new Urban Waters Federal Partnership “to stimulate regional and local economies, create local jobs, improve quality of life, and protect Americans’ health by revitalizing urban waterways in under-served communities across the country.” At this event, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes stated that,

This important partnership is yet another example of the way the Obama Administration is changing the way that government does business. At a time when every dollar the federal government invests in jumpstarting the economy is critical, we are finding ways to create unprecedented collaboration among the federal agencies, invest American’s tax dollars more wisely and efficiently, and act as better partners with local communities.

This creative, cross-agency and -sector approach is a hall-mark of the Obama Administration’s domestic policy and the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, and a touchstone of

President Obama announcing the America’s Great Outdoors initiaitve, April 16, 2010, Washington D.C. (Courtesy the White House)

6 Peter Harnik and Ben Welle, From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile, The Trust for Public Land, San Francisco CA, 2011.7 Appendix C. contains excepts from the six New England SCORPs and additional, state-based information relating to the overweight and obesity issue, costs of related healthcare, and programs to ad-dress this national challenge.


the CLC’s recommendations and this report, as well.The underlying premise of the New England gover-

nors’ initiative is that today’s compelling issues of resource conservation and development may best, if not only be ad-dressed regionally, across the several states (and neighboring provinces). In their NEGC Resolution 200, the governors call upon the Congressional delegations of the six states to support development of these five initiatives; and upon the Obama Administration to apply all related federal pro-grams, staffing, and funding across departmental lines in new and creative ways to achieve their goals.

The goals of the five, region-wide initiatives called for by the governors include that to, “Strengthen the connec-tions in their daily lives between the people of the region and the land; educate them to the landscape’s many values and essential public benefits from its wise use; and culti-vate a conservation ethic as an active duty of citizenship.” To further this goal, the governors endorsed five specific objectives for the regional Connect People to the Outdoors initiative:

• Conservation Corps and Employment Opportunity. Provide employment opportunities in the outdoors through the creation of a regional partnership with third-sector programs organized and promoted by New England’s many youth and adult conservation and education organizations.

• Livability. Explore opportunities to develop commu-nity and urban gardens, serving as both a source of food as well as creating educational opportunities;

• Recreational Opportunity. Help communities along the corridors develop a wide range of recreational opportunities.

• Environmental Education. Collaborate in devel-opment of programs that introduce the public to outdoors and generate awareness and greater interest in the natural sciences; these efforts will complement the development of the Conservation Corps.

• Healthy Outcomes. Provide opportunities, primar-ily through recreation, agricultural endeavors, and education that will contribute to healthy lifestyles for Americans.

Upon investigation, the CLC recommended and the New England governors endorsed that these goals be pur-sued as a regional and national demonstration project along seven New England corridors or interstate “pathways” that stitch together the region and more than four-fifths of its

population, namely, the:1. Androscoggin River in NH and ME;2. Blackstone River Valley in RI and MA;3. Champlain Valley in VT and NY;4. Connecticut River in VT, NH, MA, and CT;5. East Coast Greenway in ME, NH, MA, RI, CT,

and NY; 6. Merrimack River in NH and MA; and7. Northern Forest Canoe Trail in NY, VT, QC, NH,

and ME.In spring 2011the National Park Service (NPS) awarded

a Cooperative Agreement to the University of Maine to de-velop the regional Connect People to the Outdoors effort, so that the NPS-funded, six state SCORPs and informa-tion related to other federal programs might be integrated into this effort. A Working Group was then established for each pathway, to help prepare the seven case statements and identify the project or projects that will best advance public awareness, access, and usefulness of the pathway at this time.

Project costs cited in the case statements are estimates only, and are generally intended to come from multiple sources – federal, state, local, private, and philanthropic. Each case statement is written in the same spirit as that of the Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors, Sustain-able Communities, and Urban Waters initiatives, namely, to achieve more efficient and effective use of scarce resources toward high-priority public outcomes through collaboration, partnership, and innovation across department and agency lines and the private and philanthropic sectors.

Summary. Each case statement offers a grand vision for the pathway that extends from its origins to its termi-

nus, from head to foot, “from the source to the sea,” across New England (and beyond), knitting together 4 of every 5 people in the region. These visions were borne of public and private actions to restore the nation’s waters and renew its pathways, to connect people to the outdoors for both recreation and resource stewardship, to honor the nation’s outdoor heritage, to revitalize local economies and create jobs especially for youth, and to create a more sustainable future. Each vision builds on the New England tradition of civic engagement across sectors to advance shared inter-ests and goals; is embraced by a multitude of partnering organizations, public and private; and addresses the goals and priorities of related federal, state, and local govern-ment initiatives. Each vision is here advanced with specific


proposals for timely action that offers:1. Androscoggin River – The pros-

pect of strengthened conservation, stewardship, recreational opportu-nity, and job creation from Umbagog Lake to Merrymeeting Bay, along a continuous network of water, biking, hiking, and pedestrian trails that will connect the river and public open space to underserved urban and rural communities.

2. Blackstone River – Creation of the Blackstone River Way along the Blackstone River and the historic Blackstone Canal that will connect Providence RI and Worcester MA by a multi-purpose trail and series of public opens spaces in 15 cities and towns, the birth-place of America’s Industrial Revolution..

3. Champlain Valley – Opportunity to address ob-stacles on the Island Line Rail Trail; enhance Crown Point (NY) and Chimney Point (VT) State Historic Sites, a bi-state park improvement effort at either end of the new Lake Champlain Bridge; further pro-grams to access the resources and full benefits of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership; and plan extension of the Hertitage Partnership to the St. Lawrence River in the Province of Quebec.

4. Connecticut River – Creation of the Connecticut River Watershed Blueway that will connect people to a matrix of conservation lands and waters from the Connecticut Lakes in NH through four New England states to Long Island Sound, with local food benefits along the way.

5. East Coast Greenway – Upgraded route-markers and ECG routes in CT, RI, MA, NH, and ME, and connection to the 10,000-mile Trans Canada Trail in New Brunswick will spur improved public health,

lowered fuel costs, and restored environmental health benefits across the region.

6. Merrimack River – Creation of the Merrimack River Trail, a long-distance, non-motorized, multi-modal scenic trail, will celebrate the history of the Mer-rimack River and strengthen recreation, access, eco-nomic, and stewardship opportunities in underserved former mill cities from Concord NH to Newbury-port MA.

7. Northern Forest Canoe Trail – Investment in com-munity access along the 740-mile trail to ensure that the NFCT achieves its full potential and range of business development, youth engagement, and healthy lifestyle benefits; and planned extension of the Trail 200 miles downriver to Saint John NB as a destination for national and international users.

Appendix B. compares the outcomes of these actions with the express goals of the Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors and the NEGC/CLC’s Connect People to the Outdoors initiatives. These prove to be parallel, comple-mentary, and mutually reinforcing. In the recent words of U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, “These investments are (paying) and will continue to pay a generous dividend – ben-efiting local and state economies, increasing public access, and improving public health.”8

Elementary School Students Prepare Community Garden Beds for Planting. (Courtesy Groundwork Lawrence)

8 America’s Great Outdoors: 2011 Progress Report, Washington D.C, October 2011, p. 1. Available at http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov/files/2011/10/AGO_ProgressReport2011.pdf


Respecting project costs cited in the seven case state-ments, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) conducted a recent analysis of the return on the State of North Carolina’s investment in land conservation projects through the its several Conservation Trust Funds. TPL analyzed the past (1998 to 2010) and likely future (over the next decade) economic returns generated and found that every $1 invest-ed generates returns of $4 in economic value over this time period from natural resource goods and services alone.9

Recommendations for Action. This report does not represent a request to any specific funding source.

Rather, it offers a vision, an agenda, and potential funding opportunities developed by deeply committed people from across the region who came together to address a shared concern: How best to Connect People to the Outdoors in New England at this time? The question focused on seven major land and watercourses that traverse two or more New England states, and in three cases into Canada. To-gether, the seven case statements demonstrate a powerful, ground-level response to the goals of the AGO and NEGC/CLC initiatives. Individually, each lays the groundwork for local action through robust partnerships, with the support of local, state, and federal agencies.

It is important that this report and the civic impetus behind it be transmitted to key Obama Administration officials involved in the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, and to related state and local elected and agency officials. To this end, it is recommended that:

1. The Commission on Land Conservation of New Eng-land Governors’ Conference, Inc:

• Meet at an early time to review the report’s findings and recommendations;

• Transmit the report to the six New England Gover-nors, the Governor of New York, and the Premiers of Quebec and New Brunswick, with the recommenda-tions that:➢ its content be incorporated in related State and

Provincial plans (SCORP, TIP, etc); ➢ its proposed projects be placed on the appropriate

program funding priority lists; and➢ the landscape-level approach taken here, one

based on natural and cultural rather than political boundaries, be looked to in the future for more sound and effective outdoor resource planning and investment.

• Transmit the report for their consideration and action to the U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Devel-opment, Interior, Labor, and Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Administrator of the U.S. EPA, and the Chair of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality; and

• Transmit the report for their information and action to the Members of Congress from the New England states and New York.

2. Local and State Action:• Individual project advocates brief federal, state, and

local elected and agency officials and urge that:➢ the report’s concepts and project proposals receive

consideration for funding; ➢ the report be incorporated in related State plans

(SCORP, TIP, etc), and the projects be placed on appropriate program funding priority lists; and

➢ the landscape-level approach taken here, one based on natural and cultural rather than political boundaries, be looked to in the future for more sound and effective outdoor resource planning and investment.

• Individual project advocates use this report to brief all related health, environmental, outdoor recreation, economic development, smart growth, and local and statewide community foundations, as well as regional and local media outlets, about the purpose and ben-efits related to the report and proposed projects.

3. Private Action:• Most importantly, individuals who share a stake in

these matters get involved at the local and state levels, and let their voices be heard in support of the report’s concepts and projects.

For, nothing less is at stake here than the future health and wellbeing of the nation and our fellow citizens, and their op-portunity to live more full, productive, and rewarding lives.

9 See The Trust for Public Land, North Carolina’s Return on Invest-ment in Land Conservation, San Francisco CA, February 2011. Available at http://cloud.tpl.org/pubs/benefits-nc-return-on-invest-ment.pdf


Prepared for the NPS/U.S DOI, U.S. EPA, and NEGC/CLC Nov. 2011Richard Barringer, Principal Investigator

* Broken lines indicate proposed extension


Summary. Forty years ago the sorry condition of the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire and Maine

helped inspire the federal Clean Water Act of 1972. In the decades since, the Androscoggin has experienced a rebirth. Witness the collaborative addition of large tracts to the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and the White Moun-tain National Forest, a new state park nearby the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, a heavily used bike-ped pathway near the river’s mouth in Brunswick, and a well-used water trail along the river’s entire length. Today, communities along the river are poised to realize its even greater conser-vation, access, and recreational, educational, and economic benefits. As these communities transition from forest products and other manufacturing to a more diverse econo-my characterized by technology and services, their econom-ic prospects are enhanced by amenities that will attract new residents, skilled workers, businesses, and tourists.

Recent and robust partnerships among public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic interests have emerged that offer the prospect of strengthened conservation, steward-ship, recreational opportunity, and job creation throughout the watershed, from Umbagog Lake to Merrymeeting Bay, along a growing, continuous network of water, biking, hiking, and pedestrian trails that reconnect the river to underserved urban and rural communities.

History and Accomplishments. The Androscoggin River, 178 miles long and draining 3530 sq. miles,

begins in Errol NH where the Magalloway River joins the outlet from Umbagog Lake. It flows generally south in NH past Errol and Berlin, before turning east at Gorham and crossing the northern end of the White Mountain National Forest into Maine and the Mahoosuc Range. Flowing east-erly, it passes the towns of Bethel, Rumford, and Dixfield before turning south at the paper-making towns of Jay and Livermore Falls, and leaves the mountains behind. It passes through traditional rural villages and the “Twin Cities” of Lewiston and Auburn before reaching tidewater just below the Pejepscot falls in Brunswick, and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay before emptying its waters into the Gulf of Maine.

The river drops an average of eight feet per mile, making it of little transport value to early settlers but positioning

it for prime industrial use of its water power. Once heavily polluted by waste from textile and paper mills, other indus-tries, and municipalities along its course, the Androscoggin is renowned for having helped to inspire the federal Water Quality Act of 1965 and, especially, the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Municipalities along the river corridor have a com-bined population of approximately 147,000, with the greatest concentration of more than 50,000 in Lewiston and Auburn. Towns in the headwaters are quite small but, starting in Berlin, there is a mixture of small urban places, mostly clusters of mill towns with populations of 5 to 7,000 and rural towns of 1 to 5,000. Generally, towns south of Lewiston/Auburn are more heavily populated. There are few minorities in towns along the river, with the exception of the Lewiston-Auburn area which has expe-rienced an in-migration of refugees from several African nations, mostly Somali. There are underserved populations

1. Androscoggin River

Androscoggin River Watershed (Courtesy Barb Fortier, AVCOG)


in virtually every community, however, with concentra-tions in the mill towns.

The entire length of the river corridor has been plagued with job losses for the past two decades, culminating in the last decade with the loss of thousands of jobs from the closing of four pulp and paper mills and the Brunswick Naval Air Station. Job losses in small mill towns from Livermore Falls upriver have hit especially hard, due to a lack of economic diversity. Most are just beginning to understand and realize a different, more diversified path to the future. For the counties from the Topsham area north, median household incomes range from 77 to 85 percent of the national median, pov-erty rates range from 11.8 to 17 percent, and more than 50 percent of school children qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Early English settlers observed a remarkable abundance of fish in the Androscog-gin. Through significant public and private in-vestment over the past generation, the Androscoggin has become a popular fishing destination for anglers seeking brook, rainbow and brown trout, landlocked salmon, and smallmouth bass. Most of the river offers exceptional fishing and attracts both local and visiting anglers. Sections above Rumford are increasingly popular for trout and landlocked salmon, with local groups and state agencies working hard to make the area from Rumford to Gorham NH a blue-ribbon trout fishery. Field and Stream Magazine recently rated the stretch from Livermore Falls to Rumford one of the best bass fisheries north of Missouri; and Gulf Island Pond above Lewiston-Auburn is the site of numerous bass tour-naments each summer, drawing enthusiasts from through-out the northeast.

The river offers excellent paddling, and outdoor ad-ventures abound within the watershed. Over the past two

decades significant efforts have been made to improve river access, develop trails, conserve land, protect fish and wild-life habitat, and provide outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Paddling and fishing outfitters and guide services have flourished in the upper watershed, and similar services are expected to develop along the remainder of the river in the not-distant future.

The diversity of local history, culture, economy, and ecology along the Androscoggin, from source to the sea, has inspired local organizations to leadership roles in bring-ing together federal, state, and local governments, the busi-ness community, non-profit organizations, private land-

owners, and other stakeholders in the river’s renewal and re-use.

The Andro-scoggin River Wa-tershed Council has coordinated development of the Androscoggin River Trail, with more than 40 access sites from Lake Umbagog to Merrymeeting Bay; and linked with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail

and the Appalachian Trail to the north and the nationally-recognized East Coast Greenway and Maine Island Trail to the south. The Council and the Mahoosuc and Androscog-gin Land Trusts today work with site owners and interest groups to enhance the trail through site improvements, signage, and a robust web site. For the past 16 years, the Council has also coordinated the annual Androscoggin River Source to the Sea Trek, a 20 day paddling excursion attracting hundreds of paddlers along the way from Um-bagog to Merrymeeting Bay. Numerous towns and cities have created pathways adjacent to the river, most of which connect to downtowns and villages and now offer potential for a river-length pathway with connections to conserved rural lands.

Historic changes in land ownership over the past two decades have created opportunities and threats to the

Great Falls, view from Auburn into Lewiston ME (Courtesy Mimi Philbrick, City of Lewiston)


watershed and public access. Several pulp and paper mills have shuttered their doors, and those still operating have divested their forest lands. The considerable amounts of land purchased by timber investment management orga-nizations (TIMOs) and their subsequent sales for develop-ment spurred the formation of the Mahoosuc Initiative in 2006, covering the area from Lake Umbagog to Rumford ME. The initiative’s part-ners – the Trust for Public Land, AMC, The Wilder-ness Society, Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, Ma-hoosuc Land Trust, Androscoggin River Watershed Council, NH Tri-County CAP, Ma-hoosuc Pathways, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy – have purchased more than 47,000 acres in fee and easement for conservation and public access, including additions to the Umbagog Nation-al Wildlife Refuge, the White Mountain National Forest, Grafton Notch State Park, and the Appalachian Trail.

To the south, along the central stretch of the river, the Androscoggin Greenway was initiated by the Androscoggin Land Trust (ALT), the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, and the Na-tional Park Service Rivers & Trails Program, as a system of multi-use land- and river- trails that allows hikers, bikers, snowmobilers, and paddlers to travel the river corridor and enjoy its scenic wonders, with linkages into the villages and downtown business and historic districts. In 1989, with support from the State’s Land for Maine’s Future Program, area residents purchased a 2,000 acre block of Diamond Occidental land to maintain public access for hunting, hik-ing, and other outdoor activities. The parcel has become a robust conservation and recreation anchor just north of the Twin Cities and grown today to 2600 acres with over ten miles of conserved riverfront. In 2010 it was designated

Maine’s newest state park in nearly a quarter century, the Androscoggin Riverlands.

In the mid-1990’s, with the development the East Coast Greenway, an “Inland” or “River Route” was designated that extends up the Androscoggin from Brunswick to Lew-iston. The overlap with the East Coast Greenway creates

a unique synergy between this major east coast corridor and the Andro-scoggin. Program-ming to link through-travelers and the people of the region to these recreational assets has proceeded on both land and water.

Following the May 2009 closure of the Otis Mill and the

loss of more than 200 jobs, the communities of Jay and Livermore Falls came together with local investors to plan a new future for the mill complex. Otis Falls Mill, now locally-owned, has become the centerpiece for a plan to reconnect the downtowns of Jay and Livermore Falls to the river. With support from the National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program and the ALT, the Chisholm Trails group (named for the mills’ founder) has master-planned a land and water trail network that will be central to the mixed-use redevelopment of the Otis Falls Mill. With this as a centerpiece, the towns of Jay and Livermore Falls resolved in December of 2010 to work together “to pursue planning and implementation of a vision for the Androscoggin River corridor through their respective communities.”

Challenges and Opportunities. With the emergence of hospitality and leisure as Maine’s 2nd largest

employer today (after health services),10 its natural as-sets, conserved lands, and new trails and recreation areas position the Androscoggin River corridor to increase its share of visitors and attract new residents and businesses. With the predominance of tourism along the coast and increased tourism in the upper, mountainous river 10 Source: Maine Department of Labor.

Local Youth Learn To Paddle the Androscoggin (Courtesy Daryn Slover)


reaches, the central Greenway section of the river is well-positioned to attract these visitors for day trips, initially, and multi-day trips over the longer term. With signifi-cant investment having now been made throughout the corridor, provision for easy user-navigation and completion of several key land and water links will realize their full ben-efits. This is especially true of the Greenway section closest to the highly populated area and growing cultural amenities of Lewiston and Auburn.

Appropriate informa-tion along the entire river trail will help users realize the attraction and poten-tial of other river sections and communities along the way. A 2010 grant from the National Park Service’s Challenge Cost Share program sup-ported development of a hierarchy of sign types to imple-ment a coherent way-finding and signage system This system, consistently branded, will guide travelers, hikers, paddlers, and other recreational users to the Androscoggin River corridor. Similar to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail “branding” effort, this signage will link local communities through common heritage themes that maintain distinct

local “feel” while conveying the overall character and attrac-tion of the corridor.

The Androscoggin Greenway linkages from Lisbon to Jay offer significant opportunity to connect the concentra-

tions of urban dwellers in the Lewiston-Auburn-Lis-bon area to the outdoors. Conservation and trail development along the upper river also offers opportunities to link somewhat smaller but still important urban popula-tions in such places as Rumford and Mexico ME and Berlin and Gorham NH to the outdoors. Work along the entire corridor provides op-portunities for residents and visitors alike to

recognize and use the vast landscape, with each area having a unique and attractive character and story to tell. Given the mobility of 21st century knowledge-based workers and their employers, traditional industrial communities that once leveraged the river to power manufacturing will use these improvements and revitalized waterfronts to attract new businesses and residents seeking active and walkable community environments in which to live, work, play, and invest.

Proposed Projects. Projects are proposed along each of the three river sections – the up-river corridor, the

central Androscoggin Greenway and Androscoggin River Trail, and the lower river nearby Merrymeeting Bay. Total estimated cost is $26.6 million ($15.9mm for acquisition), as shown.

Upper River Projects1. River Trail Projects: Develop river access for down-

town Gorham NH, North Road in Shelburne NH, Gilead Bridge, Rumford Center, and Dixfield Village ($125,000), Otis Mill ($185,000), and downtown Lewiston ($40,000). Improve access sites at Rotary Park (downtown Berlin) and Milan village, amenities at Pontook Dam and Boffinger Dam ($65,000), and

Learning about wildlife along the proposed Riverfront School Trail, Jay ME. (Courtesy NPS Rivers & Trails Program)

Learning to fish the Androscoggin, Lewiston ME (Courtesy Julie Isbill)


portage facilities at Pejepscot Dam ($40,000).2. Pathway/Land Trail projects: Complete pathway

links between schools, Bethel Village and Bethel Recreation Area ($245,000); develop trail from Er-rol NH village to the 13 Mile Wood Town Forest ($100,000) and trail from Gorham to Shelburne NH ($100,000).

3. Purchase of land and easements along the An-droscoggin River Corridor from Bethel Village to NH ($3.5mm); in the Androscoggin Headwaters ($6.3mm); and the remainder of Success Township, approximately 15,000 acres ($5.5mm).

Central Corridor/River Trail Projects4. Complete design and installation of way-finding

signs and interpretive components for land and water-based assets of the Androscoggin Greenway, including the corridor from Dixfield to Lisbon Falls, about 60 miles ($360,000).

5. Link natural areas to two distinct heritage com-munities. Complete acquisition of Androscoggin Greenway conservation parcels in Canton, Jay, and Livermore Falls ($300,000). Build land conservation linkages along Androscoggin Riverlands State Park/Gulf Island Pond corridor north of Lewiston-Auburn ($1.7mm).

6. Complete Greenway Trail segment linking Spruce Mountain Middle School with the Livermore Falls School Complex. Complete Multi-use Trail Segment from French Falls Lane to Bridge Street (including Portage Trail around Otis and Livermore Dams) ($75,000). Installation of canoe/kayak rests along portage route ($10,000). Completion of Foundry Road Trail Extension to Shuy Corner ($250,000).

7. Water, Biking, Hiking Trail Improvements: Construction of biking and hiking trail and day-use/camping area at River Rise Farm in Turner ($50,000). Construction of Lewiston Riverside Greenway Trail, Sunnyside Park to David Rancourt Preserve in Lewiston ($2.3mm). Construction of bicycle and pedestrian river path along Lincoln Street in Lewiston ($600,000). Construction of trail link between Riverwalk/Moulton Field and Barker Mill Trail along Little Androscoggin River in Auburn ($1.2mm).

Lower/All River Projects8. Extend Brunswick’s Androscoggin River Bicycle

and Pedestrian Pathway to Bath and to Lisbon’s trail system (Planning and Design: $60,000; construction cost not estimated).

9. Purchase additional land for conservation and land trail extension along Androscoggin River in Brunswick, known as the Coombs Parcel, adjacent to existing conserved land ($300,000).

10. Complete design and installation of way-finding signage and interpretive components of the Androscoggin River Trail and adjacent recreational lands from Lake Umbagog to Merrymeeting Bay ($190,000).

Along the bike/ped path nearby the Androscoggin, Brunswick ME(Courtesy Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust)


Summary. The National Park Service, in anticipation of its 100th anniversary in 2016, recently issued a Call to

Action to, among other things, “use innovative conservation approaches that can be replicated in other places…to protect important natural and cultural places and whole ecosys-tems.”11 The Call cites the Blackstone River Valley Natural Heritage Corridor in MA and RI as a shining example of “fostering relationships and partnerships, providing collab-orative leadership, and adapting to new needs and circum-stances.”

In recognition of the river’s historic and national signifi-cance, the Congress in 1986 established the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and Corridor Commission to assist in protecting and celebrating the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. In the twenty-five years since, the Heritage Corridor has become a national model for local citizens collaborating with local, state, and the federal governments and the private sector to connect people to their natural and cultural heritage, close to home. In October 2011 legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to create the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.

Among the “legacy projects” of the Heritage Corridor Commission are (1) cleaning up the river, improving public access, and promoting its recreational use; (2) restoring the historic Blackstone Canal, listed in the National Register; and (3) creating a bikeway or “greenway”12 that will con-nect Providence to Worcester and run along or near both the river and the canal.13 The Blackstone River Way project proposed here includes all three elements, as well as related

projects by the two states and their partnering organizations – a combination “blueway” and “greenway.”

History and Accomplishments. The Blackstone River Valley covers some 400,000 acres and is home to

500,000 people. From its headwaters above Worcester MA, the river drops 438 feet over 46 miles to Narragansett Bay in Providence RI, allowing it to have become the birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution and forever change the land-scape of river valleys throughout the eastern United States.

For thousands of years Native Americans made little im-pact on the valley landscape. 18th century European settlers, however, brought never-ending change. Forests were cleared for farms and wagon roads. Mills and mill villages sprung up along the main stem of the river and its tributaries. With more people and goods to move, the Blackstone Canal was

2. Blackstone River

11 National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, A Call to Action, Washington D.C. September 2011. See Action 22, “Scaling Up.”12 The terms “bikeway” and “greenway” are used interchangeably here, although they have different meanings for certain stakehold-ers. A “bikeway” can be thought of as being designed and built in accordance with federal highway standards, which can be incompat-ible with certain sensitive resource areas. In the Blackstone case, a significant portion, especially in MA, will be designed and built to alternative “greenway” standards, allowing alignments, dimensions and materials that minimize conflict with resource protection.13 Both the Blackstone River and Canal were confirmed to be of national significance by the National Park Service in its recent Special Resource Study.


constructed from 1824 to 1828, only to be short-lived with the arrival of the railroad in 1835.

From America’s first successful textile mill in 1793, Slater’s Mill in Pawtucket RI, mill villages were established upstream as the foundation of a strong farm-mill village economy that lasted well into the 20th Century. After the early English settlers, the population diversified on waves of immigrants. Mill workers arrived from Francophone Canada, Irish were recruited to dig the canals, and more mill workers arrived from Poland, Sweden, and Portugal. This pattern continues even to today, as immigrants arrive from Central America and Southeast Asia.

Not until the mid 20th century did this farm–mill village economy change significantly. Today, the mill buildings stand either vacant or adapted to contemporary uses. With the coming of major arterial and highway networks on the broad valley landscape, the mill villages have remained local employment and commercial centers, while other work and residential locations have spread throughout.

Over the last 25-years, valley residents have been ener-gized and engaged by the programs and projects of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Authorized by the Congress in 1986, the Heritage Corridor aims to open the length of the Blackstone River to greater public access and awareness, recreational use, and appre-ciation of its historic, natural, and cultural values. The Heri-tage Corridor achieves this through the four core elements of its mission to: Tell the Story of the American Industrial Revolution; Preserve and En-hance the Valley’s Communi-ties; Balance Conservation and Growth in the Valley; and Promote Recovery of the River’s Health.

The Heritage Corridor is managed under the direction

of a federal commission whose members represent the two state governments, local governments, and the private sec-tor. Through its leadership – and with the support of many federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit organizations, philanthropies, and the private sector and individuals – sig-nificant progress has been made in each of the core mission areas. The table below demonstrates its ability to leverage public and private investments within the Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor (through 2005).

Valley-wide public activities such as the annual Clean

Water Festival and 59-mile bike-paddle-run Greenway Challenge have heightened awareness of the valley’s assets and needs. Beyond the cities and mill villages with their parks and playgrounds, the Blackstone Valley offers a broad spectrum of attractions to outdoor recreation.

Challenges and Opportunities. The governments of Massachusetts and Rhode Island recognize the natural,

cultural, recreational, and economic values of the Blackstone River Valley. Massachusetts has established the 1000-acre

Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, and Rhode Island has created a 12 mile linear Blackstone River State Park that includes the historic Kelly Farm. Both state parks include sections of the proposed Blackstone River Way.

The MA and RI SCORPs are consistent in their expres-sions of outdoor recreation demand. The Massachusetts

SCORP 2006 – 2011 noted that, “Community demand was highest (66 percent, or 112 community Open Space and Recreation Plans) for paved trails for a combination

Jackson Schoolhouse, Burrillville RI (Courtesy BRVNHC)

Commission/Partnership Investment Leverage Corridor $$ Leveraged $$• Historic Preservation $3,559,810 $132,704,834• Interpretation, Education, and Tourism 9,965,629 17,713,372• Community Planning and Economic Development 4,666,497 292,370,886• River Recovery and Recreation 4,684,340 79,120,938• TOTAL $22,876,276 $521,910,030


14 This entails, among other things, a shift to “greenway” design standards instead of the federal highway (AASHTO) standards for “bikeways.”

of walking, running, jogging, biking, or skating. This was usually a top priority in communities and was consistent in both city (60 percent) and town (68 percent) plans. This finding should lead to a re-doubling of effort in working with the state transportation agency on these types of proj-ects”. Similarly the Rhode Island SCORP 2003-2008 notes “that walking and biking trails were cited as the most heavily used and most needed local facili-ties.” Other local facilities among the top five rec-ognized as “most needed” by the public included neighborhood parks, playgrounds for children, picnic facilities, and saltwa-ter beaches.

The successful part-nership approach of the Heritage Corridor Commission has produced much progress on bikeway/greenway projects; due in large part to the economic slowdown, however, progress has slowed. The bi-state, 48-mile bike path/greenway between Worchester and Providence, for example, remains partially completed. In Massachusetts, a major portion still needs significant design work to ensure compatibility with some of the most sensitive environmental and cultural resource areas.14 The Massachusetts section travels through 8 cities and towns.

In Rhode Island, approximately 11.5 off-road miles in Cumberland, Lincoln, and Woonsocket are in use, with a significant portion located within the Blackstone River State Park, including 3.5 miles along the historic canal towpath. The Rhode Island sections span 7 cities and towns. Ulti-mately, this bike path/greenway will connect with the East Bay Bike Path in RI, to create a continuous 62 mile corridor from Worcester MA to Bristol RI. Completion of remaining sections in RI is estimated to cost some $20 million; and of remaining sections in MA, $50 million.

Larger feasibility studies for restoration of both the MA and RI portions of the historic Blackstone Canal are com-

plete, as are more in-depth analyses for two priority sections within state parks in each state. Current cost estimates for the two sections exceed $5 million. The highest priority elements (Lonsdale Spillway and Goat Hill Lock), however, could be completed for approximately $1 million. Begin-

ning work to restore the historic tow path and embankment in MA is another high priority.

River restoration has come a long way, espe-cially in terms of reducing pollutant loading from wastewater treatment facilities, an effort shared by federal and state gov-ernments and driven by strong grassroots advocacy. Water quality has im-proved so that recreational activity like canoeing and

kayaking is possible and growing rapidly. The National Heritage Corridor helped create the Blackstone River Coali-tion, a bi-state coalition of watershed organizations that continues to advocate for water quality standards and permit conditions, based on best available control technology and in recent years focused on non-point source pollution. The Coalition spearheads the Fishable and Swimmable by 2015 Campaign and operates a successful Volunteer Monitoring Program that generates data of sufficient quality to be used by federal and state agencies. The Coalition has also become very involved in the Corridor’s River Access program, con-structing access sites for recreational users that help protect river banks from erosion.

Another key Corridor partner, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, has worked to establish town landings in several towns along the Blackstone River where its river boat tours (for visitors as well as educational programs) may make stops. Although it secured significant federal and state funding, it has encountered significant cost increases due to unanticipated conditions (e.g., storms, contamination) and needs additional funding to complete the project, which greatly supplements the efforts of the Heritage Corridor and other partners.

Paddlers along the Blackstone Canal, Lincoln RI (Courtesy BRVNHC)


Proposed Project. The Blackstone River Way will include the Blackstone River, the historic Blackstone Canal, and

the bike path and greenway that will connect Providence and Worcester. It will be a corridor within the National Heritage Corridor that offers unparalleled opportunities for the public to witness resource restoration, experience history, and enjoy recreation on land and water. It will connect com-munities along the river and its tributaries, as well as the many significant sites and resource areas that include mill villages, water works, and historic farms. It will also include several significant landscapes and view corridors that reflect the natural, social, and industrial history of the Blackstone River Valley.

The Blackstone River Way will build on years of successful effort by the National Heritage Corridor and its partners to clean up the river, restore historic sites, construct portions of the bike path and greenway, complete feasibility studies for restoration of the canal, and revitalize historic villages and downtowns. Esti-mated funding will not be sufficient to complete all of the projects that make up the larger River Way Project; but will significantly advance key elements so that the larger project gains momentum and completion of the River Way may be ensured.

The project is consistent with the findings of the Special Resource Study recently released by the National Park Ser-vice that confirms the national significance of the resources

associated with the Black-stone River Way; that es-tablishing a National Park in the Blackstone River Valley is both feasible and appropriate; and that the river, the canal, and several mill villages should be in-cluded. The combination of natural and industrial history and recreational opportunities will offer

diverse and powerful visitor experiences. The Blackstone River Way is also consistent with and will

help advance state and local efforts to conserve a landscape of national importance, and to develop additional trails and

bike paths within the Black-stone River Valley. Most impor-tantly, it is an example of out-comes and strategies envisioned by the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, to preserve a regional, cultural and natural landscape of national significance, using the Heritage Corridor’s proven capacity to leverage significant state, local, and private invest-ments, and to convene effective, community-based partnerships that produce real results.

Coordinating river restora-tion, river access construction, canal restoration, and comple-

tion of the bike path and other River Way projects offers opportunity for unique efficiencies and synergies, where one helps access the other, facilities may be constructed that service two or more elements, and in combination provide a rich array of recreational, educational, and interpretive opportunities.

Total estimated cost for the proposed Blackstone River Way project is $78+ million ($2+mm for acquisition), as shown. It should be noted that the Corridor Commission and the two states have traditionally operated under a 50 percent match requirement, and it would be both sensible and realistic to apply the same here.

1. Bikeway/Greenway in MA. Construct segment 2; Redesign segments 3, 4, 5; Construct segments 3, 4, 5; and Acquire ROW. ($50+mm)

2. Bikeway/Greenway RI. Construct remaining seg-ments. ($20+mm)

3. Canal Restoration. Goat Hill Lock (MA), Lonsdale Spillway (RI), and tow path and river bank. ($4+mm)

4. River Restoration & Access. Complete canoe/kayak access network (2 yrs). Storm water projects with mu-nicipalities (5 yrs). Volunteer monitoring program (3 yrs). Construct 2 more town landings. ($2+mm)

5. Conservation of significant landscapes and view corridors within the River Way. ($2+mm)

River Way in Ashton, RI: river, canal, bikeway, historic mill vil-lage, and state park (Courtesy BRVNHC)

Blackstone River Ambassadors along the trail (Courtesy BRVNHC)


Summary. The Champlain Valley lies between the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Green

Mountains of Vermont, and embraces the inter-connected waterways of Lake Champlain, Lake George, the Cham-plain Canal, and portions of the Upper Hudson River. The region has played an important historic role as homeland to native peoples of Algonquin and Iroquois descent; as a route of exploration, military campaign, and maritime commerce; and in the creation of both the United States and Canada. It has been the setting for innovations in busi-ness and technology, new directions in religion and politics, and the beginnings of the nation’s conservation movement.

Today, high-tech and entrepreneurial businesses grow as part of a business mosaic that includes manufacturing, traditional agriculture, and tourism. A burgeoning “lo-cal foods” movement focuses on sustainable farming and healthy nutrition. Lake Champlain and Lake George remain major summer recreation destinations. Campsites, hiking trails, and nature-viewing provide widespread op-portunity for recreation, reflection, and solitude, as well as exceptional hunting and fishing. The Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge draws birdwatchers and nature-lovers from around the world.

Still, significant segments of the valley population face severe obstacles accessing these resources and enjoying their full benefits. The Champlain Valley National Heri-tage Partnership (CVNHP) works with partners to create access and foster understanding of the issues that threaten the well-being of the region’s natural, historic, cultural, and economic resources. Here, it proposes a set of projects to address these obstacles and plan extension of the Heritage Partnership to the Province of Quebec and the St. Law-rence River.

History and Accomplishments. Lake Champlain is the dominant physiographic feature of the Cham-

plain Valley between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York, extending northward along the Richelieu River to the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal QC. The valley is among the northernmost parts of the Great Appalachian Valley that stretches from Alabama to Labrador (and beyond, to West-ern Europe and North Africa).

The valley is the most heavily populated region of Ver-mont, stretching eastward from the lake’s shore to the spine of the Green Mountains. Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, and its surrounding communities occupy the central por-tion of the valley. Beyond urbanized Chittenden County, the valley’s landscape consists largely of open pasture and row crops, making it the state’s most productive agricul-tural region. The New York portion of the valley includes the eastern portions of Clinton and Essex counties, most of which are part of the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park that affords diverse recreational opportunities both within the park and along the relatively undeveloped coastline of Lake Champlain. The city of Plattsburgh is in the northern part of the region, and the historic village of Ticonderoga,

3. Champlain Valley


in the southern. The National Heritage Areas Act of 2006 established the

Heritage Partnership’s purposes to: Recognize the impor-tance of the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of the Champlain Valley; Preserve, protect, and inter-pret these resources; Enhance the tourism economy; and Encourage partnerships among state/provincial and local governments and non-profit organizations in New York, Vermont, and Quebec to carry out these purposes.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), its management partner, is a partnership among gov-ernment agencies, local communities, and citizen representatives from New York, Vermont, and Que-bec. Established under the Lake Champlain Special Designation Act of 1990, the LCBP is charged to coordinate and support efforts that will benefit water quality, fisheries, wetlands, and wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources throughout the region; and has awarded almost $4 million in small, com-petitive grants to more than 700 local projects since 1992.

In 1996, Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Future of the Lake Champlain Basin (OFA), was signed by the governors of New York and Vermont and senior U.S. federal officials, with a letter of endorsement from the Premier of Quebec; and was updated and re-affirmed in 2003 and 2010. The CVNHP Management Plan, devel-oped to implement the 2006 Congressional mandate and formally approved by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in summer 2011, is embedded within the 2010 OFA. The region has many effective local, regional, and state partners that work to highlight and conserve these recreational, edu-cational, and cultural and natural heritage resources, and to link them regionally. The intent of both the OFA and the CVNHP Management Plan15 is to support these local organizations’ efforts through funding, technical support, and coordination among willing partners; and to broaden

the geographical scope of heritage networking, collabora-tion, and stewardship.

A vital component of OFA has been a strong commit-ment to developing interpretive materials and programs that will improve public understanding of the basin’s resources and the threats they face. The LCBP has provided funding for more than 500 grants to communities and organizations to implement the goals of the OFA, notably, the:

• Wayside Exhibit Program: Since 2001 this popular program has provided design and editing ser-vices for more than 200 interpretive signs in the valley. • Lake Champlain Bikeways is a 1300-mile network of bicycle routes in the Champlain Valley. In addition to serving as guidebook for the 363-mile route around the lake and down the Richelieu River, the pub-lication Lake Champlain Bikeways offers several

other interpretive loop guides for cyclists, in both French and English.

• Lake Champlain Paddlers Trail links access sites and campsites along the shorelines of New York, Ver-mont, and Quebec. Grants have also been awarded to establish two interpretive water trails, Explore Shelburne Bay and The Narrows.

• Lake Champlain Underwater Survey, a side-scan sonar study, has explored 288 square miles of lake-bottom and newly documented 75 shipwrecks, giving Lake Champlain the most extraordinary freshwater archaeological collection of sunken ships in North America. The survey also raised public awareness of the growing threat that zebra mussels pose to this irreplaceable resource.

• Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve Sys-tem supports new historic preserves and equipment purchase for the safe exploration of Lake Champlain’s most historically significant shipwrecks.

Within the CVNHP there are many high-profile

Biking along the Causeway, Lake Champlain VT (Courtesy Local Motion)

15 Both plans are available at www.lcbp.org.


destinations, including the Adirondack State Park, Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Sara-toga National Historical Park, Green Mountain National Forest, ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Shelburne Farms, Shelburne Museum, Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve, and the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. These organizations represent key parts of the CVNHP physical heritage infrastructure and have well-developed professional staff resources and curriculum de-velopment and outreach capacities that have earned bi-state or national reputa-tions for excellence. Scores of other non-profit and public museums, historic sites, parks, and natural areas play similarly important roles in the natural and cultural heritage of the region.

This impressive array of resources includes many prospective partners north of the U.S. border, as well. Lake Champlain drains northward into the Richelieu River, which in turn joins the St. Lawrence River at Sorel QC, 75 miles (121 km.) to the north. This water corridor was an important trans-port route for Native Americans and First Nations long before European arrival. Subsequent French and English nation-building campaigns highlighted the importance of the corridor on the world stage. The various geographic and cultural links between the people, historic sites, and communities of the Richelieu River Valley and those of the CVNHP call for continued growth of cross-border collabo-rations that will highlight this shared history and related economic opportunities.

Challenges and Opportunities. The CVNHP covers a vast, 9000-square-mile area that includes 11 counties

in Vermont and New York, with most of its population residing in rural places. Many living outside population centers are unable to access this rich array of cultural and natural resources, even as economic, social, and demo-graphic shifts of past decades have changed the “outdoors” culture of the region.

In Vermont, an increase in households where two parents work (72 percent in 2010), long commuting times, and other social factors have led to a decline in children’s and families’ engagement in outdoor activities. Grand Isle

County VT, for example, consists of three islands and a peninsula that juts into Lake Cham-plain, with but a handful of access points to the lake. Sixty-one percent of commuters drive more than 30 minutes to work. Lack of access and diminished family time have created an island population that, largely, no lon-ger knows how to

operate a canoe, handle a sailboat, or fish – activities once essential to the county’s culture and identity.

Changes in recreational habits reveal themselves, as well, in the growing number of obese people living in the region. The number of obese Vermonters increased from 11 percent of the population in 1990 to 24 percent in 2010, according to the recent study, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011.” 16 Researchers for the Trust for America’s Health found 13 percent of children in Vermont obese, and 17 percent of children in New York. According to the Mayo Clinic, the cause of the rise in childhood obesity in the United States is simply explained: “Most of the time it is caused by kids eating too much and exercising too little.”

The CVNHP Management Plan identifies three actions that will help provide sustainable and accessible recreational opportunities for everyone within the region:

• Support initiatives to promote sustainable recreational 16 Trust for America’s Health, 2011.

Replica canal schooner and floating classroom, Lois McClure (Courtesy Lake Champlain Maritime Museum)


activities that feature the natural, cultural, and his-torical resources in the CVNHP.

• Increase and improve public access opportunities to the interconnected waterways of the CVNHP for diverse recreational activities.

• Support a public information program that emphasizes recreational ethics, public safety, sustainable use, and stewardship of cultural and natural resources.

The narrows between Crown Point NY and Chimney Point VT on Lake Champlain have connected people on both sides of the lake for millennia. Early French forts there protected “New France” from its Eng-lish rivals to the south. Later, the English occupied and fortified these points until the Revolution-ary War. Regular sail ferry traffic traversed the narrows from the war’s end until the 1929 completion of the first Lake Champlain Bridge.

The aged bridge was closed in 2009 and its replacement opened in November 2011. With its award-winning design, the striking new structure is expected to become an attrac-tion. Unlike its predecessor, the new bridge includes side-walks and bicycle lanes that, along with nearby natural and cultural resources, will expand opportunities for recreation, interpretation, and tourism. These include Crown Point State Historic Site, Chimney Point State Historic Site, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse, the Crown Point Pier, boat launches, two state park campgrounds, day use areas, visitor centers, and a state wildlife management area.

Proposed Projects. The CVNHP works with federal, state, local, and private partners to fulfill its mission

with scarce resources. The four projects proposed here are

timely and will serve a broad variety of children and adults while promoting the recreational, natural, and cultural re-sources and economic opportunities within the region. Total estimated cost of the projects is $3.085million, as shown.

1. Lois McClure Floating Classroom. The replica canal schooner, Lois McClure, serves as a platform for promoting the cultural resources of the Cham-plain Valley. Built by the Lake Champlain Maritime

Museum in 2004 and designed after shipwrecks in Burlington Bay, the Lois Mc-Clure serves as an ambassador for Lake Champlain, along the Hudson River and Erie Canal, and traveling to New York City and Buffalo. In 2008, the schooner traveled down the Richelieu and St. Lawrence rivers to Quebec City for its 400th anniver-sary celebration.

When in home-port at Burlington, the vessel offers great potential as a floating classroom, to support a vivid interpretation of the rich commercial maritime history of Lake Champlain and the entire region. The CVNHP proposes to support the Lois McClure as a platform for interpreting, marketing, and teaching recreational boating and fishing skills. The vessel will provide interpretation of the history of com-mercial and recreation fishing in the valley, and serve as a fully fitted-out classroom and dynamic teaching laboratory of the naval architecture of its period and the principles of sailing. Associated with the Lois Mc-Clure, lessons will be made available nearby for small-boat sailing, canoe and kayak paddling, and fishing. Primary demographic targets will be middle-school through high school aged youth; the goal will be to

The new Lake Champlain Bridge between Crown Point NY and Chimney Point VT (Courtesy HNTB and CVNHP)


inform and encourage their knowledge, appreciation, and skills concerning safe recreational boating, fish-ing, and related forms of lake enjoyment. ($750,000 over three years)

2. Champlain Bike Ferry Improvements. The 14-mile Island Line Rail Trail connects Burlington with the Lake Champlain Islands. An abandoned route of the Rutland Railroad, the Island Line is a part of an over-all effort to create a bike route link between Burling-ton and Montreal. More than 150,000 persons use the trail each year, making it an essential recreation resource. A pedestrian and bicycle ferry connects a 200 foot water gap in a historic and scenic marble causeway in Lake Champlain. Local Motion, the operator of the ferry, has developed an infrastructure improvement plan that includes handicapped access for the ferry landings, wave attenuators, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant fishing platforms, a new ferry, and general causeway improvements within 500 feet of each dock. The project is fully permitted and has the approval of the State of Ver-mont. ($1.3mm)

3. International Historic Water Trail Plan. The interconnected waterways of the CVNHP are three historic transportation corridors that connect the Erie Canal and Hudson River with the Richelieu and St. Lawrence rivers. These corridors are linked to the northwest by Lake Ontario and a series of canals in Canada. During the Lake Champlain Quadricenten-nial in 2009, the concept of formally uniting these waterways through interpretation was developed, with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail serving as a model. The CVNHP will work with the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, Parks Canada, and the appropriate agen-cies in the Province of Quebec and the states of Vermont and New York to develop a cross-boundary implementation plan for an International Historic Water Trail. The application of established education and outreach techniques for the prevention of the introduction of new aquatic invasive species within the new water trail will be emphasized in the plan’s development. ($225,000)

4. VT/NY State Parks Enhancement. Extend the signage and related infrastructure of the new Lake Champlain Bridge to make it more embracing of the natural and historic sites available at either end. The CVNHP will support efforts by the two state agencies to strengthen links with the educational and natural resources in the area, and enable the visiting public better to experience the shared history and heritage of the two states. ($310,000)

5. Champlain Sustainable Small Grants Program. Re-establish the highly effective, LCBP-administered small grants program (up to $15,000 per award) to communities and organizations proposing to under-take actions that will accelerate achievement of the OFA-stated goals. ($500,000 over two years)

Bikers turn ’round at The Cut (Courtesy Local Motion)


Summary. Catching a fish, skipping a stone, paddling a canoe, splashing about in clean water, learning to

swim, following a trail, camping under the stars, and learning nature’s requirements and one’s responsibility to it are all be part of the promise we may keep to our children. The Connecticut River watershed is home to millions of people. The river and its 14 major tributaries are histori-cally, culturally, economically, and ecologically significant to the four New England states that border it, and beyond. The 396 local communities within the watershed continue to depend on the river for employment and sustainable economic opportunity.

Designation of the Connecticut River and its major trib-utaries as the Connecticut River Watershed Blueway17 will help connect urban and rural communities to the river and to one another, safeguard its water quality from the head-waters to Long Island Sound, and promote healthier life styles, recreation, and economic development. All residents of and visitors to the Watershed Blueway will be the benefi-ciaries of a comprehensive plan to connect people, especial-ly our children, to this extraordinary resource. Exceptional opportunity exists here, as well, to link underserved urban residents to community farms and gardens, local foods, and improved health.

The hope throughout the watershed and the belief among its vast network of partnerships is that designation is timely. With the projects outlined here, the Connecticut River Watershed Blueway will be inaugurated and grow as a compelling destination for hiking, fishing, wildlife view-ing, boating, and many other forms of outdoor recreation, conservation, education, resource use, and job creation.

History and Accomplishments. The 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed is home to 2.4 million

people, 396 municipalities, 51 designated urban areas with half its population, many thousands of species of flora and fauna, and more than 1.5 million acres of land in public and private conservation. An additional 4.75 million acres

in the watershed remain undeveloped and unprotected, af-fording opportunity for even greater conservation

From its headwaters deep within the Connecticut Lakes region of the Northern Forest, the watershed is strategically located within New England, making it the central element in a large, regional mosaic of landscape partnership ac-complishments, opportunities, and priorities. It is home to the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge and portions of the White and Green Mountain National For-ests. It hosts the Westfield River (MA), Farmington River West Branch (CT), and Eightmile River (CT) units of the National Wild and Scenic River System; contains segments of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, New England National Scenic Trail, Washing-ton Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, East Coast Greenway, and a vast network of land and

4. Connecticut River

17 Note: Blueway is a form of recognition proposed by the Admin-istration’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative. The National Trails System Act, P.L. 90-543, as amended by P.L. 111-11, gives the U.S. Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture authority to establish Blueway designation for rivers.

(Courtesy Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge)


water trails. It shares common boundaries with the headwa-ters of the Androscoggin, Merrimack, and Blackstone rivers and the Champlain Valley.

The Connecticut River changes dramatically as it flows 410 miles south, drains 11,250 square miles, drops 2660 feet as it journeys to Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook CT, and delivers 70 percent of all freshwater reaching the sound. In turn, the river is influenced by ocean tides for some 60 miles, to Windsor Locks CT. The watershed con-tains 257,000 acres of wetlands, almost 4 percent of the land-scape, while forests are the dominant land cover, increasing today as abandoned farmlands revert to forest. Because of its extraordinary abun-dance and diversity of historic, cultural, wildlife, economic, recreational, and aesthetic values, the Connecticut was designated an American Heritage River in July 1998.

Trade along the river thrived among Native Americans long before the Europeans arrived. In 1614, Dutch explorer Adriaen Block established a trading post at Saybrook Point. In 1633 the first English colonists built a trading post at what is now Windsor CT; and in 1636 the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized an expedition that led to the found-ing of Springfield MA. In addition to the fur trade, logging became an important early industry. As early as 1761, huge trees were cut and floated downriver to mills that in turn produced boxes, furniture, and lumber for homes and factories.

For 200 years, the Connecticut River Valley grew in prosperity as the result of the civic and economic relations among farmers, merchants, and shipbuilders. Hartford and Middletown CT grew to two of the young nation’s largest river ports. With the introduction of steam power in 1815, river traffic increased dramatically. Holyoke MA, alongside the river’s steepest drop of 60 feet at Hadley Falls, attracted

the successful developers of the Lowell textile mills, and became the Connecticut’s first planned city using a dam and series of canals to harness water power for industrial use. Today, the city is distinguished by the state’s high-est poverty rate of 26.4 percent and, at the same time, the highest occurrence of biodiversity within its limits. The elaborate canal system further distinguishes Holyoke from other Connecticut River cities; and its rectilinear

grid pattern remains notable in western Massachusetts, where few (if any) roads are straight.

The Water Qual-ity Act of 1965 had a major effect in less-ening water pollu-tion in the river and its tributaries, since restored and reclas-sified from Class D to Class B, fishable and swimmable. The headwaters are a chain of deep, cold-water lakes that

are home to lake trout and landlocked salmon. The river itself is habitat to native brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, landlocked salmon, shad, smallmouth bass, carp, catfish, and several species of anadromous fish, includ-ing striped bass. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works today to restore the Atlantic salmon.

In 1991 the U.S. Congress displayed remarkable fore-sight in establishing the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act , with its emphasis on collaborative, landscape-scale conservation partnerships. Due to the scope and authority of its mandate, the Refuge is exceptionally well positioned to provide leadership and serve as a catalyst, working with partners to promote landscape conservation, education, recreation, and related job creation within the watershed. At the same time, it offers a unique opportunity for federal agencies to pool resources on a landscape-scale partnership with local citizens, communities, philanthro-pies, private organizations, state agencies, and the Refuge, to advance the America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

Springtime on the Connecticut. (Courtesy Paul Fusco)


Challenges and Opportunities. Today’s changing land use and climate patterns, and the diversity of interests

represented along the Connecticut and its tributaries offer challenges and opportunities, alike. Happily, the river and Refuge benefit from a robust, productive, and cohesive partnership with the Friends of Silvio O. Conte Refuge (Friends of Conte) who provide a forum and foundation to advance conservation, education, and recreation within the watershed. Best characterized as an organization of organi-zations “from the source to the sea,” the Friends of Conte is organized into three working committees (Executive, Recreation and Education, and Stewardship) to collabo-rate on mutually beneficial projects that advance a well-coordinated and supported landscape strategy. The river, its tributaries, and the surrounding landscape bind these partnerships that include the Connecticut River Watershed Council and the Connecticut River Joint Commissions of NH and VT.

Today the watershed offers unsurpassed and untapped potential as an outdoor recreation and environmental educa-tion center of excellence. In an effort to connect with urban and rural residents, the Refuge developed a mobile visi-tor center and exhibits known as the “Water-shed on Wheels” or “WoW Express.” The Refuge and its partners visit schools, sum-mer camps, fairs, and special events to elevate awareness and appreciation of the watershed, the river, its tributaries, and the citizen’s role within them.

Each year the free events and programs of Hartford’s Riverfront Recapture program serve close to one million people in the great outdoors, in the heart of one of the nation’s most underserved urban places. Riverfront Recap-ture’s revitalized public parks and miles of riverwalks and trails – together with its recreational programs, cultural festivals, arts performances, athletic competitions, and more – offer residents and visitors, alike, a wide variety of

incentives to get outside and connect with the river, the region’s greatest natural resource.

Proposed Projects. The Friends of Conte have begun work with the Refuge and interested partners to estab-

lish the Connecticut River Watershed Blueway, to include an interpretive and educational component, expand the network of outdoor opportunities and related infrastruc-ture, connect people to a matrix of conservation lands and waters in the watershed, and promote employment and economic opportunities.

A federal funding strategy and partnership in support of the Watershed Blueway will attract state and municipal partners, organizations, and individuals to join the effort and promote it as a nationally significant recreational, educational, and job creation model. Potentially partner-ing federal agencies whose mission and program resources

will contribute to its development include the departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Transportation, Com-merce, Housing and Ur-ban Development, and Labor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Establishment of the Watershed Blueway will bring many visions and existing initiatives to-gether and energize new efforts and achievements. For example, the Con-necticut River Paddlers’

Trail Alliance currently brings together many NH and VT communities, conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, businesses, volunteers, and visitors to protect, steward, enjoy, and benefit from secure and dependable ac-cess to the river and its tributaries. Replicating the success of this partnership and expanding it southward to MA, CT, and the Long Island Sound will complete the “source to the sea” experience, and serve as an immediate focus of the Watershed Blueway initiative.

Work is well underway on paddling and birding trails

Sec. Ken Salazar and Cong. John Larson (center) and friends learn at the WoW Express (Courtesy Patrick Comins, Friends of Conte)


within the watershed; additional resources will expand and establish necessary linkages and public access infrastructure. All trails, access points, campsites, and support facili-ties developed or improved will be locally “adopted” by individuals, organizations, and public agencies in partner-ship with the Friends of Conte. Locally based volunteers will be enlisted to open and close sites, monitor conditions and gauge use, maintain site conditions, and seek needed assistance. Visitors will be expected to practice “Carry In, Carry Out” and “Leave No Trace” etiquette, minimizing impacts and maintenance needs. Beyond the time and effort invested by volunteers and partners, costs associ-ated with ongoing stewardship will be offset by donations, grants, and other sources.

Trails, comfort sta-tions, and public access development will draw on best practices and follow a shared man-agement protocol to ensure and maintain the integrity of the outdoor experience, recogniz-able continuity between sites, common messages, proper etiquette by users, effective steward-ship, and good relation-ships with landowners and partners. Construc-tion and rehabilitation of public access infra-structure and trails will offer outstanding opportunities to employ youth who may augment their sense of accomplish-ment with a cherished experience in the watershed.

Annual activities and events will be conducted by various organizations within the Watershed to attract the public and maintain their interest, including Earth Day (April), Migratory Bird Day (May), National Trails Day (June), No Child Left Inside® Family Boating Day (July), National Public Lands Day (September), Connecticut River “Source to the Sea” Clean-up Day (October), and In-ternational Volunteer Day (December). Beyond the “work party” element, education and recreation will play a key role in elevating awareness, appreciation, and identification of the Watershed Blueway as a singular, multi-state asset.

An annual “Connecticut River Watershed Blueway Day” event will be organized during the month of August, which might represent the first National Blueway Day event.

Ten projects proposed are here, in several categories, to inaugurate the Connecticut River Watershed Blueway. All are located along the main stem or within one mile of its confluence with the 14 major tributaries. Similar efforts will be made in the not-distant future along these tributar-ies, as well. Total estimated cost of the projects is $77mil-lion ($28.4mm for acquisition), as shown.

Resource Inventory 1. Inventory and Document Access Points and Public

Facilities. Within 180 days of Watershed Blueway designation, a compre-hensive inventory will identify, evaluate, and quantify existing trails (land and water), access points, campsites, and public use facilities and infrastructure, and docu-ment needs and gaps, restoration and enhance-ment priorities, and cost estimates. As part of this effort, a collaborative planning process among existing and potential partners will establish a shared landscape strat-egy for the Watershed

Blueway, based on a network of river conservation, education, recreation, job creation, and public access and infrastructure improvement projects. ($180,000)

Water Craft Access, Public Use Facilities, and Water Trails

2. Connecticut River Water Trail – CT, MA, NH, VT. The Water Trail will be a major component of the Watershed Blueway. Official public access points for canoes, kayaks, and boats will be located at ten mile intervals (41 system-wide), a distance covered in a ½ day paddle; and campsites, at five mile intervals (82 system-wide). Access points may include park-ing, signage, picnic tables, solar powered composting

Learning to cast, Riverside Park, Hartford CT (Courtesy CT DEEP)


toilets, guest registers, informational and educational kiosks, and stable access to the river, to promote safety and minimize the impact of public access over the river bank and habitat. Sites will be established and maintained by youth and adult volunteers, vari-ous sponsors, and other partnering organizations or agencies. As funds permit, installation of the desired infrastructure will create many outdoor jobs (Ameri-Corps, Youth Conservation Corps, and other youth employment initiatives) for young people in each of the four watershed states. There currently exist within the watershed many experienced and respected Youth Conservation Corps that will be invited to partici-pate. ($5.5mm)

Rail Trails and River Walks3. Connecticut River Greenway State Park Comple-

tion – MA. Develop and enhance the CT River Water Trail between Holyoke and Northfield MA, including improved management at the river ac-cess/boat launch points at Elwell Island, Hatfield, and Sunderland; a signage system for facilities up and down the river, including the Norwottuck Rail Trail, Great Falls Discovery Center, and Mt Sugarloaf; and protection of land along 18 miles of unpro-tected shoreline to complete the State Park. ($4.6mm)

4. Connecticut Riverwalk and Bikeway – MA. The Connecticut Riverwalk would eventually be part of a regional network of inter-linked bikeway/walkway paths that will connect the Connecticut Riverwalk to the Norwottuck Rail Trail in the Connecticut River Greenway State Park, one of Massachusetts’ newest state parks. A 20-mile bike-walkway and greenbelt along both sides of the Connecticut River will link Agawam, West Springfield, Springfield, Chicopee,

and Holyoke, with additional links to neighboring communities, and provide recreational opportunities for an underserved population, a greenbelt of wildlife habitat along the river, and transportation alternatives to the region’s core downtowns. Plans exist for the entire route and segments have been constructed in Springfield and Agawam; segments in West Spring-field and Agawam have completed designs and need construction funding; and segments in Chicopee and Holyoke need design funding. ($15.3mm)

5. Holyoke Canalwalk – MA. This is an urban walk-

way designed to revitalize downtown Holyoke. Its completion has been a dream of residents for decades, one that will offer recreational and educational op-portunities for underserved residents and create a link to the Holyoke Canal system and Connecticut River. Plans exist for the entire route, one segment has been constructed and another has final design plans and construction funds. Funds are needed to complete other segments of the walkway. Future plans will

link the Canalwalk to the Riverwalk along the Connecticut River in Holyoke. ($2.3mm)

6. Fort Hill Branch Trail – NH, VT. The Fort Hill Branch Trail in Hinsdale NH parallels the east bank of the Connecticut River to a railroad bridge west to Brattleboro VT. The bridge is not decked and there are large gaps be-tween the ties that make

it unsafe to cross, even on foot. Decking of the bridge will connect trails in NH all the way to Keene, and to developing trails along the West River in Brattleboro. ($2mm)

7. Hartford’s Riverfront Recapture – CT. One sec-tion of Riverfront Recapture master plan, Riverwalk South, remains to be constructed. This will complete the three mile loop system of riverwalks between

Farm crew, Holyoke MA (Courtesy Nuestra Raices)


Hartford and East Hartford and provide a critical connection to the Coltsville project, adding to its value and appeal as it seeks National Historic Park status. The project will add 3,800 linear feet of paved, lighted, landscaped, and ADA-compliant riverwalk, and provide direct river access to the Sheldon and Charter Oak neighborhoods. The overall budget for Riverwalk South is $27mm, of which $7mm is in secured and pending commitments. ($20mm)

Coordinate, Enhance, and Maintain Stewardship8. Water Quality Monitoring, Job Training, and

Youth Enrichment – CT, MA, NH, VT. Water qual-ity monitoring for recreational uses occurs through-out the watershed by watershed associations, regional planning commissions, and municipalities. Existing partners will leverage the existing infrastructure of volunteers and data to create youth training pro-grams for water quality monitoring in urban centers. Non-profit organizations will use their own testing and recreational facilities to partner with wastewater treatment facilities and employment programs to seasonally employ and train urban youth in water quality testing; and, as well, provide recreational field trips and enrichment programs for the trainees. ($100,000)

Local Agriculture

9. Connecting Working Farms to Mill City Residents – MA. Build on the successful USDA/MA Dept of Agriculture’s Healthy Incentives Pilot Program in Hampden County to link the 50,000 persons enrolled in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to fresh, locally produced food. The Connecticut River Valley in MA is the site of an ancient glacial lake and has some of the best farm soils in the world. It is the site of the first agricultural restriction program in the U.S. that has protected the majority of valley farms by means of working farm easements. Easements over an additional 7,000 acres will complete protection of this nationally significant resource; and efforts to link the mill cities to the farms via farmers markets and community farms will

connect urban residents to this resource and improve public health. A successful example is the Nuestras Raices farm along the river in Holyoke, where urban farmers now work.18 ($27mm)

Marketing the Watershed Blueway10. Interactive Web Portal – CT, MA, NH, VT. Build-

ing on existing web-based interactive maps and trip planning tools, a watershed-wide web portal will be developed. The portal will allow all visitors to plan trips, access water quality information, view informa-tion on-line, and order printed information on access points, camp sites, and points of interest through-out the watershed. Maps with GPS coordinates and addresses will be available on-line to identify access points, campsites, and portage routes, with site-specific information on amenities and points of interest. Additional information will be available to potential users concerning local ecology, natural his-tory, geology, site stewardship, and points of interest, using QR codes that may be scanned or accessed via internet where wireless is available. ($50,000)

18 See www.nuestras-raices.org/en/community-gardens


Summary. “Active” transportation is arguably the lowest-cost behavioral change that Americans may

adopt to decrease their carbon footprint and live sustain-ably. Increased cycling and walking deliver health benefits that help address the nation’s healthcare costs by decreas-ing obesity rates, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease; and at the same time provide an alternative to dependence on gasoline. American people wish to bicycle and walk more. Cycling and walking trips have more than doubled since 1990 and currently account for 12 percent of all trips taken. To get more Americans outside, a safe path must be provided for them. This is what East Coast Greenway (ECG) can and will do for New England.

The ECG’s vision and mission are to complete a safe and accessible, multi-use corridor for recreation and trans-portation within and between communities from Maine to Florida. Today, it is the most highly developed long-distance, multi-use trail in the nation providing a high level of safety and offering unsurpassed opportunity for residents and visitors to gain access to the natural world around them. Its 2900-mile route is used daily by tens of thousands of walkers, runners, cyclists, and others in a mix of urban parks, suburban routes, and rural pathways.

The ECG traverses five of the six New England states, all except Vermont, through counties that are home to more than 70 percent of New England’s population. Un-like other long-distance trails like the Appalachian Trail, the ECG is designed to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities; indeed, demographic and geographic acces-sibility are at the core of its strength. Over 25 percent of the trail is off-road and separated from auto traffic, and this percentage grows each year.

Upgrading the ECG route throughout the region will require relatively low-cost public and private investment, and spur a high return in the form of improved pub-lic health, lower fuel costs, and restored environmental health. Just as the railroads promoted domestic tourism to western National Parks in the early 1900s, replacing trips to Europe, the ECG will help New Englanders replace flights and car-trips outside the region with a path to the vast natural wealth at their doorstep.

Completing full signage throughout New England and improving at least one key segment within each state will

make the ECG something that all New Englanders may take pride in and enjoy. A developed ECG route and its connection to the 10,000 mile Trans Canada Trail in New Brunswick will generate significant revenue as a major eco-tourism destination for people from across New Eng-land, the nation, and the world.

History and Accomplishments. In 1991, a small group of volunteers gathered in Cambridge MA to

dream of a greenway that would connect the major cities of the East Coast. Within a decade, this vision developed into an almost 3,000-mile trail that bridged communities and natural landscapes from the Canadian border to Key

5. East Coast Greenway

(East Coast Greenway, New England section)


West FL. An organization was born to steward the project, the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) that started piecing together the route.

The East Coast Greenway has today grown to reality, thanks to the hard work of more than 11,000 members and volunteers partnered with a five-person staff along the East Coast. The majority of ECG users take the greenway for local commuting and recreation, making its segments the top bicycle commuter corridor in many communities. A diverse mix of travelers rides the entire route between Canada and Key West, from honeymooners who live in the region to European tourists who use the ECG to expe-rience America. The ECGA is effectively driving progress in partnership with its many local affiliates and national allies. Designated ECG mile-age grew by 21 percent (100 miles) in 2010, and scores more miles are in the pipeline for 2011 and 2012 desig-nation.

U.S. DOT Sec-retary Ray LaHood recently recognized and endorsed the ECG, calling it a cost-effective investment that helps integrate the bicycle and walker more fully into our nation’s transportation system. In February 2010 the U.S. DOT awarded the ECG’s Philadelphia section the nation’s largest bike/pedestrian federal stimulus grant, over $20 million in TIGER funds, to create and save hundreds of jobs constructing the ECG and its neighboring trails.

Challenges and Opportunities. New England has been a leader in overall ECG development, hosts the

most completed greenway miles of any region (over 225 miles) and serves as ECGA’s headquarters in Wakefield RI for most of its history. The full 818 miles of New England spine route span every state but Vermont. The 85-mile Down East Sunrise Trail in Maine is the longest continu-ous stretch of trail in the entire ECG system, as well as the

longest rail-trail in New England. The New England Governors have been important

partners in ECG trail development, recently exemplified by CT Governor Dan Malloy’s April 2011 announcement of a $1.37 million commitment to plan construction of 37 miles of trail along the historic Merritt Parkway. Still, parts of the route remain unsafe and inaccessible to all but the most adventurous. ECGA aims to provide a safe and enjoyable route for all of the more than 10 million New Englanders who live in ECG counties and their visitors.

Proposed Projects. To connect all persons of all ages and abilities with the outdoors nearby, four immediate

opportunities pres-ent themselves. Total estimated cost of the projects is $25.02 million ($1.5mm for acquisition), as shown.

1. Integrate the ECG into each state’s SCORP and TIP. Necessary improve-ments to the ECG include a mix of greenway construction together with road improvements such as wider shoulders, bike lanes, and sidewalks. To prioritize these

improvements, the ECG needs to be integrated into each New England state’s SCORP and TIP. (Note: the ECG is currently in the ME SCORP, MA bike plan, RIDOT bike map, the CT Recreational Trails Plan, and has current TIP projects in most all states). No direct cost.

2. Complete installation of way-finding signs and guides. Route-marker installation along the ECG has increased dramatically, but signage remains below 25 percent coverage because of the time-in-tensive nature of dealing with multiple jurisdictions. The ECG anticipates complete signage through the Mid-Atlantic region (NY-DC) by the end of 2012.

The ECG along the Kennebec River in Hallowell ME (Courtesy East Coast Green-way Alliance)


New England can accomplish this low-cost feat at the same time by aiding in the permitting process and dedicating less than $100,000 per state for route markers and installation labor (with ECGA assistance). State-by-state physical and GPS ECG guides will com-plement mark-ers, enhancing the trail experi-ence and access. ($670,000)

3. Develop key projects within each state to lift ECG comple-tion rate above 30 percent and dramatically raise the profile of this emerging national trea-sure. There are segments of the ECG within each state that need special attention. Priority corridor improvements in each state include, at an estimated total cost $24.35 million:• CT: Low-cost improvements to 37.5 miles of

soft-surface trails (Hop River Trail, Air Line Trail North, Moosup Valley Trail), including grading & re-surfacing with stone dust ($3.75mm);

• RI: Blackstone River Bikeway, segment 8A in-Woonsocket ($5mm);

• MA: Blackstone Riv-er Bikeway, funding shortfall for segments 1 & 2 ($6mm);• NH: NH Seacoast Greenway, construc-tion of Seabrook and Hampton sec-tions ($4.4mm) and acquisition of right-of-way from Hamp-ton to Portsmouth ($1.5mm); • ME: Assistance to Eastern Trail Manage-ment District to con-struct the bicycle and pedestrian connection

between the Nonesuch River in Scarborough and the South Portland Greenbelt, completing the Eastern Trail from Saco to Portland ($3.7mm).

4. Connect with the neighboring Trans Canada Trail. The ECG is in communication and will collaborate with our neighbors to the north, the Trans Canada Trail, to design links between these national treasures at Calais ME/St. Stephen NB and establish an international trail system spanning almost 15,000 miles. The 10,000-mile Trans Canada is now 73 percent complete, with full completion scheduled for 2017. The ECG has a connection to the Canadian border at Calais ME; now, it is up to our Canadian neighbors to develop a trail leading to the border at St. Stephen NB. No direct cost on this side of the border.

Trans Canada Trail, Moncton NB (Courtesy Trans Canada Trail)

Between the Charles River and Storrow Drive, Boston MA . (Courtesy East Coast Greenway Alliance)


Summary. The Merrimack River is perhaps best known nationally for the early American literary classic, A

Week on the Concord and Merrimack River, by Henry David Thoreau. It has long, however, been a most important regional resource and focus of interest in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. As an important industrial river for more than a century, it paid a steep price for helping to power the nation’s early manufacturers. Multiple dams built along its length disrupted habitat, and wastes generated by factories and municipalities were deposited along its shores. The federal Water Quality Act of 1965 helped greatly; and, since the early 1970s, the active efforts of citizen groups throughout the watershed have improved water quality and increased access to the river, awareness of the issues facing it, and the public’s desire to improve water quality, public access, and use.

The Merrimack River Trail is envisioned as a long-distance, non-motorized, multi-modal scenic trail that celebrates the history of the Merrimack River while offering recreational opportunities, greater public access, enhanced stewardship, and economic opportunity. The trail will unite regional and local efforts to establish a continuous pedes-trian (at minimum) connection along the Merrimack, with water access. The outcome will be a celebration of the ecol-ogy, history, economy, and culture of the communities that line the river’s course from Franklin NH to where it meets the Gulf of Maine at Newburyport MA.

History and Accomplishments. The Merrimac River rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and

Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin NH, flows southward to Massachusetts, and then northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport MA. The watershed covers approximately 4,700 square miles, much of southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. Along its 110-mile course are numerous, important 19th century cities built to take advantage of falling water when textile mills dominated the New England economy and urban landscape – in Concord, Manchester, and Nashua NH, and Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill MA. At the mouth of the river is the small city of Newburyport that, prior to construction of the Middlesex Canal, was an impor-tant shipbuilding city, originally to receive and ship New Hampshire timber that had been floated downriver.

Concord is New Hampshire’s state capital, its third most populous city, and home to almost 43,000 persons and 48,000 jobs. Median household income is $42,000, with 8 percent of households living below poverty. Con-cord’s physical development closely followed the river and is today concentrated on less than a third of the city’s land

6. Merrimack River

Sewalls Falls Recreation Area, Merrimack River Greenway, Concord NH (Courtesy City of Concord )

(Courtesy Tsongas Industrial History Center, Lowell MA)


area, immediately along the river. For 40 years Concord has embraced land use practices that are today termed “smart growth,” with the city’s population concentrated in neigh-borhoods and villages within the City’s Urban Growth Boundary, supported by utilities, transportation, and a highly developed park system. Downtown Concord is distinctly walk-able, with a Walk Score of 95. The City has adopted a “complete streets” policy and incor-porates bicycle and pe-destrian improvements in all transportation-related capital improvements. At the same time, the City has pursued a program of open space protection in surrounding rural areas, as well as a greenway along the river.

In Massachusetts, the Merrimack passes through 17 communities between the New Hampshire border and the Gulf of Maine, with a combined population of 521,775. The communities vary greatly in size, the smallest be-ing West Newbury (pop. 4, 235) and the largest, Lowell (106,519). Sixty-two percent of the population resides in six cities, the most racially diverse of which are Law-rence and Lowell, with Lawrence’s population 80 percent minority.

Challenges and Opportunities. The New Hampshire Heritage Trail was first proposed in 1988 by then-

Governor Judd Gregg and enacted by the legislature as a north-south trail through New Hampshire linking commu-

nities from the Massachu-setts to the Canadian bor-ders, along the Merrimack and Pemigewasset Rivers, through Franconia Notch, and along the Connecti-cut River. The trail seeks to accommodate hikers, joggers, and, in many por-tions, cross country skiers, snowshoers and bicyclists; and to focus attention on the natural, cultural, and historic heritage of the cities and towns along its

path. Each community along the way was made responsible to develop its portion of the trail and to coordinate with neighboring communities to ensure its continuity.

Since 1990, several sections of the NH Heritage Trail have been established in Concord. A recent feasibility study prepared under the auspices of the Central NH Regional Planning Commission, the City’s Transportation Policy Advisory Committee, and the non-profit Concord 2020, focused efforts on a 4-season, paved, continuous, off-street shared-use path, to serve bicyclists, pedestrians, skiers, snowshoers, and other non-motorized users, and to be universally accessible to the extent practicable. Expanding upon the original Heritage Trail plans, and referred to as the Merrimack River Greenway Shared-Use Path, its goals are to serve both transportation and recreational purposes, connect villages, and provide access to the Merrimack River and adjacent open space, and offer safe and inviting health and fitness opportunities.

The Merrimack River Trail through Massachusetts incorporates both off-road trails and on-road and sidewalk elements. Portions of the trail, like that in Andover, are foot paths restricted to pedestrian-use only. Other sections, as the Bradford Rail Trail in Haverhill, are open to all non-motorized uses. At the request of some 15 communities, the Essex National Heritage Commission, Merrimack Val-ley Planning Commission, and Northern Middlesex Coun-cil of Governments undertook a recent re-examination of

White Water rafting on the Concord River (Courtesy Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust)

Green Team members conduct rapid ecological assessments along the Spicket River (Courtesy Groundwork Lawrence)


the envisioned trail. The report made clear that a con-tinuous trail will need both on-road and off-road sections, and recommended more marketing of existing trails and development of new sections.

Lowell MA, at the conflu-ence of the Merrimack and Concord rivers, was among the first planned industrial cities in the United States. The Concord River has been heavily indus-trialized for well over a century, yet its banks still hold much valuable open space. The Con-cord River Greenway, a 1.75 mile multi-use recreational trail leads to the confluence with the Merrimack River and fills an important gap in the regional trail network, including the Bay Circuit Trail (following the Merrimack River north), Lowell’s downtown Merrimack River Walk and canal walks, and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to the south. The project is multi-dimensional with an outdoor classroom and online curriculum, multi-lingual signage, and public art funded in part by the National En-dowment for the Arts. The two ends of the greenway are now finished, with a funding need of approximately $2.2 million to complete.

Youth in Lowell have few opportunities to explore nature, and many experience a “nature deficit.” The Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust operates an after-school

environmental education program, Stewardship Through Leadership, at several sites throughout the city. In partner-ship with the Mass. Audubon Society’s Drumlin Farm

Wildlife Sanctuary, the program offers underprivileged youth the opportunity to work with professional educators to explore the natural resources of the city, to integrate science, technology, and math concepts in a safe, out-of-school environment with adult mentors. Self-designed projects include water testing, bio-blitzes, bio-mapping, macro-invertebrate surveys, wildlife studies, habitat restoration, and invasive species removal. The youth work with similar,

upstream/downstream programs to share data, project results, and problem solving within the Concord River and Merrimack River watersheds.

Lawrence MA, incorporated in 1856, is a diverse, former textile manufacturing city at the confluence of the Merrimack, Shawsheen, and Spicket Rivers. At the turn of the last century, the Spicket was straightened to accelerate the flushing of trash and pollutants from the textile mills, and to allow development of the floodplain for millworker residences. As the mills closed, vacant lots and brownfield sites were left behind in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, now susceptible to flooding. In 1998 the residents of Lawrence set a goal of creating a Spicket River Greenway. Awareness of the issues facing the river was recognized as integral to forging a successful vision for the river. Ground-work Lawrence created Green Teams to create awareness of the river and help build support for creation of four new parks along its course. Groundwork Lawrence has received a federal grant to complete the 2.5 mile Spicket River Gre-enway in Fall 2012.

The Riverwalk Project, managed by Groundwork Law-rence in concert with the MA Department of Conserva-tion & Recreation and the City of Lawrence, will greatly improve opportunities for bike and pedestrian-oriented riverfront recreation along the Merrimack. The Riverwalk project is envisioned as a northside/southside recreational loop with spurs to adjoining communities in the future. The initial phase of the project has been scoped as a 12

After-school water sampling, Concord River, Lowell MA (Courtesy Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust)

Youth Clean-up the Confluence, Spicket & Merrimac Rivers(Courtesy Groundwork Lawrence)


ft. wide walkway stretching along the 1.2 mile southern side of the Merrimack from U.S. I-495 to the Great Stone Dam.

The Ferrous Site is a 7.85 acre parcel at the confluence of the Merrimack and Spicket rivers and the North Canal. For more than a decade, community organizers have worked to protect this “urban wild” site and make it the termi-nus of the Spicket River Greenway. The Ferrous site has a long history of connecting urban youth with nature. Since 2004, Groundwork Lawrence and the Massachusetts Audubon Society have conducted ecological as-sessments with Lawrence high school students who, in turn, use these as aides in teaching middle school students about their natural en-vironment. Groundwork Lawrence’s goal is to restore the site and establish an urban nature center.

Proposed Projects. Six projects are proposed with a total estimated cost of $20+million ($0.6mm for acquisi-

tion), as shown.1. Concord NH: Merrimack River Greenway. Com-

plete gaps in the existing greenway and trail system, upgrade current trails to encompass a broader range of users, particularly bicyclists, and establish links to the rail trail corridors to the north and south, includ-ing 1.8 miles of new trail, ¼ mile of boardwalk, bridges, access control gates, kiosks, and trailheads. ($890,000)

2. Lowell MA: Con-cord River Greenway. Complete the 1.75 mile multi-use recreational trail that leads to the confluence with the Merrimack River and fill an important gap in the regional trail network,

including the Bay Circuit Trail (following the Mer-rimack River north), Lowell’s downtown Merrimack River Walk and canal walks, and south toward the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. ($2.2mm)

3. Lowell MA: Stewardship Through Leadership. Expand this program to include a Gulf of Maine In-stitute team to participate in their Up River, Down River program with others throughout the Merrimack River watershed. (Annual operating cost, $75,000)4. Lawrence MA: Riv-erwalk Project. The first phase of the project’s design is now 25 percent complete and ready for submission to state and federal agencies for permit-

ting. Concurrent with this, progress has been made on

pre-development activities including creation of a public/private partnership fund that will sustain the Riverwalk’s maintenance budget for the foreseeable future. With funding in place, a nine-month con-struction phase is anticipated for the initial 1.3 mile walkway along the southern side of the Merrimack River. ($1.75mm)

5. Lawrence MA: Ferrous Site. Acquisition of land and development of Nature Center. ($2.965mm)

6. Merrimack River Greenway Development. Not including possible trail sections that may be devel-oped as part of future road reconstruction projects, as shown below.

Youth Conservation Corps Remove Invasive Species from the Banks of the Merrimac. (Courtesy Groundwork Lawrence)

Community Miles Construction Design Bradford Rail Trail Haverhill 0.4 $400,000 $60,000Old Georgetown Branch Haverhill 2.69 2,690,000 403,500Merrimack River Trail Lawrence 1.0 1,000,000 150,000City Branch Trail Newburyport 1.75 1,750,000 262,500Pennacook Trail Lowell 4.75 4,750,000 712,500TOTAL 10.6 $10.6mm $1.6mm


Summary. The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) is the longest inland water trail in the United States. It has

garnered national attention as a vital public recreation and heritage resource within a day’s drive of more than 70 mil-lion people, including residents of Boston, New York, and Montréal; is a landscape-scale connector that makes visible the natural recreational wealth of northern New England and the Adirondacks; and represents a powerful tool in the shared work of connecting people to the outdoors and building a more vibrant future for rural America. As a grassroots trail with strong relationships in rural trailside communities, it delivers valuable resources and opportuni-ties to small business partners through its marketing and trip planning tools; and enables communities to re-vision the value of backyard waterways as generators of tourism, job creation, youth outdoors engagement, and healthy lifestyles for all residents.

As a national model for water trail management, NFCT educates and influences trail systems across the country, exporting the landscape, economic, and health benefits it now delivers in the Northern Forest. Investing in commu-nity access along the Trail will ensure that NFCT achieves its powerful potential, and that its benefits are shared by rural communities, their surrounding landscapes, paddling visitors, and the broader community of long distance and water trail users. Extending the Trail downriver to the city of Saint John NB will extend its impact, base of support, and array of benefits to all the communities along its course and to its national and international visitors.

History and Accomplishments. Incorporated in 2000, the NFCT is a 740 mile inland paddling trail along

historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire, and Maine. It connects people to the region’s natural environment, human heritage, and contem-porary communities by stewarding, promoting, and provid-ing access to canoe and kayak experiences along the route. A central strategic focus of the NFCT is to tap the power of the water trail or blueway route to reconnect people and place to the direct benefit of each, in the 30-million acre Northern Forest Region, the largest intact ecosystem east of the Mississippi.

In its first decade, NFCT published a 13-map series pro-

viding navigational access to the entire route, as well as a Guidebook with detailed planning information. At the same time it established three strategic program areas for delivery of its three-element mission of Waterway Stewardship, Com-munity Economic Development, and Connecting People and Place. To these ends, NFCT implements numerous projects that develop and care for the physical trail; create collab-orative and innovative promotion strategies to generate direct benefits for rural trailside partners; and connect rural youth with their backyard waterways. The NFCT 2009-14 Strategic Plan identifies specific targets in each of the three program areas.

NFCT is now recognized as expert in each of these pro-gram areas, and a leader in coordinating regional and rural initiatives to leverage the recreational resource and generate positive outcomes across sectors. There is significant and critical opportunity in this work not only to engage more people in the outdoors, but to create a model for revitaliz-ing rural landscapes and communities.

NFCT operates in a tier of northern counties character-ized by an aging and declining population, and that lag state and national averages in median household income (MHI). For example, the MHI in Somerset County ME is 23 percent below the state average and 30 percent below the national average; and unemployment is 3-5 percent

7. Northern Forest Canoe Trail


above state and national rates. The natural resource extrac-tion and related manufacturing industries that for the past century provided economic security in these counties have declined dramatically. In this context, the NFCT’s work at hand is to build a more diverse economy that will gener-ate sustained economic growth from the community to the multi-state regional level; and to reconnect people and place in meaningful and lasting ways.

The work NFCT undertakes in each program area contributes directly to a vital future for the Northern Forest Region by leveraging the trail to engage and train youth, to increase the inflow of dollars into rural communities, and to create a new valuation for the landscape that prioritizes conservation and stewardship of healthy natural areas. Specifically, these include:

Waterway Stewardship. Core activities in this program include the Stewardship Internship Program, volunteer Wa-terway Work Trips, and a Trail Maintainer Program that is new in the last two years and engages local maintainers by their “adopting” a ~10 mile trail segment. Both the Intern and Maintainer programs have developed an extensive technical training regimen that imparts valuable and trans-ferable skills. NFCT also this year has a Lake Champlain Basin Program grant to create a model for paddler-specific messaging and outreach, to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. NFCT is viewed as a national model for water trail management and participates in professional recreation and watershed associations both to contribute

best practices and ensure that its approaches are at or above standard.

Community Economic Development. At the grassroots, NFCT has local community outreach coordinators in Vermont and New Hampshire, funded by USDA Rural Development, working with trailside businesses to help them best benefit from NFCT visitors and develop the resources to attract and support visitors. This includes creation of specific packages and itineraries, social media trainings for business partners, marketing of various NFCT online tools that help paddlers plan trips and connect with local services, and general education of small businesses about the opportunity to capture recreational visitors.

At the regional level, NFCT coordinates the Northern Forest Tourism Network, an association of tourism practi-tioners to improve sustainable tourism outcomes by sharing best practices, building partnerships, and identifying key opportunities. In the last two years NFCT has surveyed business partners, trail users, and regional tourism network partners. Results have been used to target NFCT efforts and reinforce its commitment to work in this area, as all partner groups have affirmed the need for the direct action and coordinating roles NFCT plays.

Connecting People and Place. NFCT’s central focus in this area is its rural youth paddling program, the Northern Forest Explorers Program. Its goals are to connect trailside youth to backyard waterways, giving them opportunity to become expert in its special geography; and to develop

In the fog, Connecticut River, northern VT/NH border (Courtesy NFCT)


leadership and teamwork skills that are transferable to other aspects of their lives. In 2008-10 NFCT piloted week-long sessions in ME, NH, and NY. In 2010 it secured a federal award from the Department of Justice that enables it to fully implement the summer program. NFCT hired a Youth Program Director in October 2010 who ran 12 weeks of programming in summer 2011, reaching a total of 120-140 youth ages 10-14 in NY, VT, NH, and ME (three weeks per state).

NFCT has par-ticipated in SCORP revisions since its incorporation; and SCORPs (or their equivalents) in all the trail states (NY, VT, NH, and ME) prioritize the need for increasing local capacity to handle and welcome increased recreational participa-tion for its full health and economic ben-efits. Specifically:

• NY has both a Statewide Trail Plan and the Adiron-dack Park Agency State Land Master Plan; both documents prioritize trail corridors and explicitly link them to healthy outcomes, tourism development, and job creation.

• As stated in the VT 2005-09 SCORP: “Vermont needs to find ways of improving the ability of its towns and agencies to be more pro-active in deter-mining the appropriate locations, times, and fre-quencies for the increasing variety and intensity of outdoor recreational activities.” VT is at present in the final stages of updating its SCORP, and NFCT is working with UVM to help complete the revision.

• In the NH 2008-13 SCORP, outdoor recreation in the northern tier, where the trail is located, is prioritized; and specific attention is given to the need for invest-ing in local and collaborative efforts to conserve land for recreational access.

• The ME 2009-14 SCORP explicitly prioritizes the role of regional trails, noting the need to, “Find ways to further develop gateway communities as regional trail

hubs, including tourism and economic development efforts.” ME’s SCORP prioritizes the value of water trails, with specific mention of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

Challenges and Opportunities. NFCT has successfully secured a mix of private, state, and federal funding

sources to develop and implement project work in each of its program areas. At the federal level, NFCT has secured

and managed funds totaling approximately $2 million, from: • National Park Ser-vice Challenge Cost Share and Rivers & Trails Technical As-sistance;• USDA Rural Devel-opment, Rural Busi-ness Enterprise Grant Program;• Northern Border Regional Commis-sion;• Department of

Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and

• U.S. DOT Recreational Trails Programs, administered through the states.

NFCT has also supported federal, state, and local in-vestments in water access, boating facilities, public land management, and landscape scale conservation initiatives along the trail, drawing on various LWCF-funded pro-grams, Americorps, and federal boating and wetland funds (USFWS).

Federal landowners along the trail include three national wildlife refuges: the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge, and the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge. Federal scenic byway programs and funding (U.S. DOT) also provide opportunities for collaboration in many trailside communi-ties. NFCT has used these funds effectively to establish and map the trail route and to build the programs that deliver the full potential of the trail in the work of revitalizing rural landscapes and communities.

The challenge and opportunity now is to fully deliver

Stand-off on the Saranac River, NY (Courtesy NFCT)


program results in each of the NFCT’s rural, trailside com-munities. To do this, NFCT has put in place a five-year strategic vision to install or improve a public trail access point in each trailside community. In addition, NFCT will establish at least one Universal Access point per state, strengthening and diversifying outdoor recreation opportu-nities for the elderly and disabled, including veterans, activ-ity programs for the differently-abled, and fully accessible tourism itineraries.

In the process of establishing the trail and building on existing public access, NFCT is part-way toward realizing its strategic vision. Further investment is necessary in the next 1-3 years to achieve the level of public access NFCT has identified as necessary to leverage the trail to its full suite of health, economic, and conservation benefits.

Proposed Projects. 1. Increase NFCT Access. NFCT will install or improve fifteen community access points and

four Universal Trail access points in the next year to three-years. Each community access point is unique, so costs will vary, and NFCT’s estimated budget for permitting and implementation, including labor, is indicated below.

2. Extend NFCT to the Bay of Fundy. The NFCT’s eastern terminus is now Fort Kent ME on the St. John River, which continues more than 200 miles easterly and souther-ly through Maine and New Brunswick to the Bay of Fundy at Saint John NB. Preliminary research and planning for extension of the NFCT to Saint John was done when the current route was established. As NFCT enters its second decade, it is now appropriate to collaborate with Canadian officials and recreation and tourism partners to take this planning to the next level and create a feasible strategy for international trail extension via the St. John River or an-other route to the Bay of Fundy. Planning funds, primarily for staff and travel, will support creation of a collaborative plan for trail extension.

Total estimated cost of these projects is $725,000 as shown.

Site of the Reversing Falls, Saint John NB, where the river meets the Bay of Fundy(Courtesy Christine Comeau, Enterprise Saint John)

15 community access sites $375,0004 universal access sites 300,000Trail extension planning 50,000TOTAL $725,000


This report is the product of a collaboration among scores of devoted persons, to whom deep gratitude is owing. Only their longstanding devotion to their work, deep knowledge of their subject, and thoughtful guidance made it possible. What is of merit in the report is owing to all; its shortcomings belong to the principal investigator. Those indicated in italics have made especially important contributions and deserve special thanks; written contributions by many of these formed the basis of the seven case statements.

Ed Barrett, City of Lewiston MESarah Bevilacqua, Silvio O. Conte Fish & Wildlife RefugeJim Brangan, Champlain Valley National Heritage

PartnershipBrad Buschur, Groundwork Lawrence (MA)Jane Calvin, Lowell Parks & Conservation TrustSteve Church, RI Department of TransportationJanet Coit, RI Department of Environmental ManagementPatrick Comins, Friends of ConteChristine Comeau, Enterprise Saint John (NB)Warren Cook, Maine Network PartnersMelissa Cryan, MA Executive Office of Energy &

Environmental AffairsChris Curtis, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (MA)Dan Driscoll, MA Department of Conservation &

RecreationKathy Eickenberg, ME Department of ConservationAndrew Fisk, Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc.Andrew French, Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife

RefugeMatt Fritz, CT Department of Energy & Environmental

Protection Laurie Gianotti, CT Department of Environmental

ProtectionElsa Gilbertson, VT Division for Historic Preservation Mike Gildesgame, Appalachian Mountain ClubSteve Golden, National Park Service Betsy Goodrich, Merrimack Valley Planning CommissionDavid Head, CT Department of TransportationBill Howland, Lake Champlain Basin ProgramTom Hughes, NY Office of Parks, Recreation and

Historic PreservationJulie Isbill, National Park ServicePaul Jahnige, MA Department of Conservation &

RecreationDiane Chisnall Joy, CT Department of Energy &

Environmental Protection Richard D. Kelly, Jr., Cartography Consultant, Augusta MELarry Keniston, NH Department of Transportation Landon Fake, Mahoosuc PathwaysJonathan LaBonte, Androscoggin Land TrustFerg Lea, Androscoggin Valley Council of GovernmentsJosh Lehman, MA Department of TransportationJamie Mierau, American RiversBob O’Connor, MA Executive Office of Energy &

Environmental AffairsEd O’Leary, VT Department of Forests, Parks & RecreationBob Paquette, RI Department of Environmental

ManagementNoah Pollock, Vermont River ConservancyCathy Poppenwimer, Appalachian Mountain Club Lisa Primiano, RI Department of Environmental

ManagementJan Reitsma, John H. Chafee Blackstone National Heritage

CorridorAlan Stearns, Northern Forest Canoe TrailDan Stewart, ME Department of TransportationKristen Sykes, Appalachian Mountain ClubWolfe Tone, The Trust for Public LandIvan Ussach, Millers River Watershed CouncilEric Weis, East Coast Greenway AllianceCraig Whipple, VT Department of Forests, Parks &

RecreationKate Williams, Northern Forest Canoe TrailGail Wolek, NH Department of Resources & Economic

DevelopmentLambri Zerva, RI Department of Transportation

Appendix A. List of Contributors


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Following are excerpts from each of the six New England SCORPs, and additional, state-based information relating to overweight, costs of related healthcare, and programs aimed at correcting the national obesity epidemic.

Connecticut. The 2005-2010 SCORP establishes “No Child Left Inside” as a priority state initiative, The plan states “Not only are many of our children not getting sufficient exercise, but they are also not getting exposure to the outdoors and an under-standing of natural systems…. This is a significant problem that must be overcome if we are to prepare a physically healthy and environmentally aware generation to take its place in our society.” A survey tool used to help determine issues and priorities for the SCORP found that the leading deterrents for visiting parks was that people did not know what activities parks offer and the location of parks. The plan also establishes a new selection criterion that favors financial assistance to parks located along public transportation routes.19 In the April 14, 2010, Tribuna Connecticut, a biweekly multi-ethnic newspaper, Emanuela P. Lima reports that William Glass, Danbury’s deputy superintendent of schools, stated that “the percentage of kids in Danbury schools who can pass the state physical fitness tests has declined from almost 30 percent to less than 20 percent – a 33 percent drop.”20

Maine. The 2009-2014 SCORP gives high priority to expenditures that provide, among other things, “multiple public benefits in addition to recreation benefits – i.e., address public health issues (e.g., obesity), economic development (e.g., nature based tourism, quality of place), and protection of ecologi-cal values; or that increase opportunities for multi-day trail recreation.”21 Increasingly, poor health is a cost of business in Maine as it is in other areas. A Kennebec Journal article of July 5, 2010, states, “Youth obesity scares businesses.” Reporter John Richardson highlights work done by William Perry of the University of New England, who surveyed 17,000 Maine employees and estimated that, at cur-rent rates, overweight and obesity in the workplace will increase from 62 to 80 percent within 9 years.22 It is easy to conclude that direct and indirect health costs for Maine businesses will skyrocket if youth obesity rates remain high.

Massachusetts. The 2006-2011 SCORP gives priority to educating the public about the health benefits of physical activity and outdoor recreation, and introduces a new urban focus to its list of issues to improve the “quality of life in our 51 cities by providing new parks and renovating parks in poor repair, especially in neighborhoods under-served for parks and with a high percentage of young resi-dents.”23 This new emphasis could not be timelier. In The Boston Globe of September 9, 2010, Stephen Smith sounded the alarm on youth obesity in Mas-sachusetts. Smith highlights the fact that one third of the school youth are overweight, and notes sharp disparities linked to income. The article quotes Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children’s Hospital Boston: “Im-poverished, and especially inner-city communities, are almost optimally designed to promote obesity, depriving children of access to high-nutrition, lower-calorie foods like fruits and vegetables and beans. And at the same time, those communities make physical activity either inconvenient or dan-gerous.’’24

Appendix C. Selections fron N.E. State SCORPs, Etc.

19 State of Connecticut, Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recre-ation Plan 2005-2010, p. xiv, June 8, 2011, http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/outdoor_recreation/scorp/2005_ct_scorp_finaldraft.pdf20 Tribuna Connecticut, The Weight of the Future: Childhood Obesity Epidemic, July 17, 2011, http://www.tribunact.com/news/2010-04-14/News/The_weight_of_the_future_Childhood_obesity_epidemi.html21 State of Maine, Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2009-2014, V-12, July 17, 2011, http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/SCORP/documents/MESCORPChapV.pdf22 Kennebec Journal, Youth Obesity Scares Businesses, July 17,2011, http://www.kjonline.com/news/youthobesityscaresbusi-ness_2010-07-04.html 23 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Outdoors 2006-09, June 8, 2011, http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/eea/dcs/massout-door2006.pdf


New Hampshire. The 2008-2013 SCORP highlights local open space and outdoor recreation opportuni-ties as one the state’s top six priorities. Regarding weight and fitness issues, the SCORP cites national level partnerships between health and outdoor recreation providers, noting that the “Center for Disease Control sponsors an initiative (Active Com-munity Environments 24) to promote walking, bicycling and the development of accessible recre-ation facilities. One of the major initiatives consists of a partnership among 11 federal programs in 4 different federal agencies (including the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service) to promote healthier lifestyles through recreation and physical activity.”25 The 2006 Rockefeller Center’s “Medicaid Report: New Hampshire and Vermont Preventative Care and Obesity,” prepared by Stephanie Lawrence, indicates that Medicaid and Medicare costs related to obesity for the year 2000 in New Hampshire and Vermont was $443 million, representing less than one-half of all costs related to adult obesity in each state.26

Rhode Island. The 2003-2008 SCORP states “the imperative of providing open space and recreational

opportunities for people close to home, seizing the scarce opportunities to reclaim open land as it exists in urban neighborhoods.” The plan also gives prior-ity to bikeways, greenways, and trails, and notes, “work is continuing on linkages to create a unified statewide system, as outlined in the Greenspace and Greenways Plan.”27 More recently, the 2010-2015 Eat Smart-Move More Rhode Island Plan for Action issued by the Rhode Island Department of Health calls for municipal planning to consider healthy eating and active living; for the RI Statewide Plan-ning Handbook for Local Comprehensive Plans to be updated to include these factors; and for related criteria to be developed to evaluate Local Compre-hensive Plans.28

Vermont. The 2005-2009 SCORP recognizes the “growing need to emphasize the connections be-tween outdoor recreation and the good health of individuals and communities.” Its strategies call on families, communities, schools, businesses and or-ganizations, especially youth organizations, to work individually and together in addressing this issue.29 As part of this strategy, the Vermont Agency for Transportation is working with the U. S. Depart-ment of Transportation to foster “Safe Routes to School”. The VT program notes that “when routes are safe, walking and biking to school are fun, easy and inexpensive ways for students to get some of the daily physical activity they need for good health.”30

24 The Boston Globe, 34 Percent of Mass. Children Weigh Too Much, Report Finds, July 17, 2011, http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2010/09/34_percent_of_m.html25 State of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Outdoors 2008-2013, July 17, 2011, http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/recreation/SCORP_2008-2013/documents/SCORPSummaryReport.pdf 26 Stephanie Lawrence, Medicaid Report: New Hampshire and Vermont: Preventative Care and Obesity, PRS Policy Brief 0506-11, October 24, 2006, http://rockefeller.dartmouth.edu/library/obesity.pdf27 State of Rhode Island, Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Rec-reation Plan 2003, 4.3.8, July 17, 2011, http://www.planning.ri.gov/landuse/152/152-4.pdf 28 State of Rhode Island, Eat Smart, Move More, July 17, 2011, http://www.halth.ri.gov/publications/actionplans/2010InitiativeForHealthyWeight.pdf 29 State of Vermont, Vermont Outdoor Recreation Plan 2005-2009, 42, July 17, 2011, http://www.vtfpr.org/recreation/scorp/documents/VERMONTOUTDOORRECREATIONPLAN2005-2009FINALVERSIONPDF.pdf 30 State of Vermont, Safe Route to School, July 17, 2011, http://www.aot.state.vt.us/progdev/Sections/LTF/SRTS/VTSRTS.html

Documents

Connect People to the Outdoors in New England