Spectrum News
Supporters of $30M Maine trails bond on November ballot say storms, heavy use taking a toll.
Severe storms and heavy use have left Maine’s hiking, ATV and snowmobile trails in tough shape, supporters of a $30 million statewide bond said Tuesday.
The Partnership for Maine Trails includes outdoor businesses, ATV and snowmobile clubs and land conservation organizations such as the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
Angela Arno, executive director of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, said Maine has an opportunity to establish itself as the state with the best trails on the East Coast.
“In recent years, trail designers have been mapping out new trails even as they assess the cost of repairing existing trails that have been hammered by the storms and increased use,” she said during a press conference in Bangor’s Cascade Park.
If approved by voters, the state’s first-ever $30 million trails bond would be administered by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands as a competitive grant program. Towns, organizations and clubs could apply for funding to design, maintain or build trails.
All types of trails will be eligible for funds, including motorized, nonmotorized and multi-use trails.