TRAIL ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT
May 2006
by Warren Chase
For those of you who have been out on the club trail system, you can see that a great deal of time, effort and money (!) has been spent to create the trails that you ride and enjoy. The bulk of this funding comes from two programs, Recreational Trails Program and Grant-In-Aid. We have been fortunate to receive funding from these sources every year since we established the Club and trail system back in 2001. Recreational Trails is a matching program: any time you volunteer time or donate materials or use of equipment (including ATV's, I can use that as a credit for the matching, if you document it! Grant-In-Aid requires the Club to pay a percentage of the cost of construction and maintenance, so the Club must raise a certain amount of funds each year to cover its share.
Fro the ATV trail system to continue to grow, several things are needed: increased membership in the Club (strength in numbers), greater involvement in the Club by its members, and more funding other thatn the grants previously mentioned. Since its inception, the Club has relied on a half-dozen dedicated volunteers to keep everything going, and we're getting tired! We need help! Fresh blood, new ideas, and increased enthusiasm are needed immediately if we are to continue to provide and improve your ATV riding experience here in the Great North Woods. It is extremely important to get involved now. Make no mistake about it; there are many who want us to fail and for ATV's to disappear...let's not give them that satisfaction!
As mentioned previously in this newsletter, we are attempting to gain ATV access on designated roads and trails on the 146,000 acre Headwaters land. This will certainly take a while to happen, but when it does, then we potentially have access to the Errol trail system, Maine, and perhaps eventually even Quebec. We do not presently have the manpower to undertake such growth, so we have to prepare ourselves now. We will be under a microscope on this land and cannot afford to fail!
Increased sources of funding must be addressed. Each year we brush-hog the trails, which is not covered by grant money. We grade several miles of gravel roads, which is only partially covered. Membership fees do not generate enough money to keep the trails maintained. We need some other fundraising efforts. Any and all suggestions and assistance are greatly appreciated.
Trail construction: Last year we completed a connector from the end of Farr Road to the Cowen Hill winter road, which seems to be a popular ride. We began a loop off the Shatney Mountain trail and are finishing it now; it will be open soon, weather permitting. Several new trails have been flagged and are waiting on funding. There are many areas that need extensive repairs, which we will do as time and money are available. As of this date, Jaquith Pond Road is washed out and is impassible, due to beaver damage.
We have been given permission from the Cloutier family to expand the Shatney Mountain trail onto their property, which we will do as soon as we can walk the area with the Cloutiers. At this time, the trail ends on Perry Stream Land and Timber property. Please do not go beyond until we have opened any new sections.
The town of Pittsburg has granted us permission to use a section of Hill Road from Fern Drive across the Happy Corner Bridge to access the Home Center, Happy Corner Cafe, and Young's Store. Also, we can use a section of river Road from Philbrook Road across the River Road Bridge to Mercier Lane. (ED. But NOT through to Young's Store! Please stop at the end of Mercier Lane.) This is a critical and valuable piece of our trail system, which we have been working on obtaining permission for a couple of years. Don't screw it up by misbehaving!
STAY ON TRAILS OR STAY HOME
STAY LEGAL-STAY DRY-AVOID WETLANDS
TRAIL ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT
May 2005
by Warren Chase
In 2004 the Great North Woods Riders ATV Club, Inc. (the Club) applied for and received Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and Grant-in-Aid (GIA) funding for several major projects. The largest of these projects was done in cooperation with the Pittsburg Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club, Inc., the State of New Hampshire DRED, and Perry Stream Land and Timber Co., Inc. (PSLT), whereby the Club coordinated and accomplished major repairs to approximately three miles of Indian Stream Road. In addition to ATV enthusiasts, these repairs also benefited many other user groups, which is why we were able to secure such extensive funding for the project.
The other big project for 2004 was the completion of the "Shatney Mountain" corridor trail from Moose Pond toward Pittsburg village, also done in cooperation with the Ridge Runners. At this time, ATV use is restricted on this trail until we can create a loop to eliminate the ATV dead end. Any of you who may have snowmobiled over this trail last winter can see the potential for expanded ATV riding in this area, and we are actively working on possible expansion of the trail system there.
Smaller projects in 2004 included repairs to Farr Road, Cowen Hill Road, Jaquith Pond Road, Scott Road, Indian Stream trail, and Moose Pond trail. We had a small budget for the grading of gravel roads but were unable to utilize all of the funds due to a lack of grader availability during the summer months.
For 2005 the Club has once again been awarded RTP and GIA funds. We are presently re-ditching and culverting the Four-Corners trail to repair damage caused by 4x4 highway vehicles on the trail a couple of hunting seasons ago. Apparently the best gating and signing can be circumvented by someone with plenty of desire and little IQ. Please, please, please report any non-permitted or destructive behavior you may encounter on our trail system. Every dollar spent for repairs is one that cannot be used for expansion of the trail system.
This spring we have spent a great deal of time laying out potential new trails. Plans include a loop from the Farr Road dead end over the mountain to the Cowen Hill winter road. If we can address the steep first section off Farr Road, which I believe we can, then this will be a very nice trail.
We also plan to create a loop on Shatney Mountain so that we can enjoy the trail work we did there last season. We have had preliminary talks with the Cloutier (abutter to PSLT) and Gray (abutter to Cloutier) families, and there may be a possibility that we can expand onto their properties in the future. However, we do not yet have permission to go beyond the PSLT boundary line, and it is critical that we remain within our permitted bounds.
Other potential trails that have been ribboned for future construction include one from Scott Road to Harris Pond, eliminating the dead end there, one from Four Corners to Cowen Hill, one from Farr Road to Cowen Hill Road, and some connectors within these new trails. As funding allows, we will continue to create more trails.
Some of you have asked for unimproved "chainsaw" trails, like the few we already have along Perry Stream and in the Jaquith Pond area. The problem in expanding these opportunities is in finding areas which are not cluttered with logging tops and debris. We have located and flagged one which goes from Farr Road to Jaquith Pond Road, and we will continue to look for others. Keep in mind that this is where you riders will need to help yourself by creating these trails with your own "sweat equity". Just stop in at the Yamaha shop for further instructions.
We are still trying to gain permission to create ATV access to services such as food, gas, and lodging.
As any of you who ride the trail system know, our trail signing lacks a lot. We need more manpower to accomplish this task. Please volunteer some time to help your sport and trail system.
Most of our grants require matching funds of some sort; donation of time, materials, or money. Other than grants from the state, we operate the Club on a shoestring budget, and any donations are always;s welcome and needed. Please record your volunteer time and equipment used on a log sheet (available at the Yamaha shop) or a scrap of paper, and I can use those hours as a match. It would be great if every trail user volunteered even just one day this season to benefit the trail system; think of how much we could accomplish.
Finally, please keep track of your riding time, as these trail use records are valuable when I am writing grants. The more we can show the need for our trail system, the more funding we (hopefully ) will receive.