Bay State Trail Riders Association, Inc. (BSTRA) announced in December 2015 they had received a grant from the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor, Inc. to improve a total of 5.3 miles of trails located in the Douglas State Forest and on the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT). In addition to the work on the SNETT, there was a 1.4 mile section of the Ridge Trail in the Douglas State Forest which needed to be regraded. The total cost of the project was just over $26,800, with the grant paying for half the cost and BSTRA paying the remaining $13,400+.
BSTRA is pleased to announce that the entire project has been completed and these trails are in great condition and ready for non-motorized use.
Two sections of the SNETT were targeted for this project and scheduled to begin in late Fall. The first area is a 2.46 mile section of the SNETT in Douglas starting at the historic Stone Arch Bridge on Wallum Lake Road and continuing all the way to the Connecticut state line. This particular section of the SNETT needed to be brushed back, drainage ditches needed to be opened, washed out areas needed to be filled, and extensive grading was needed to remove the large moguls that had developed over the years and other problem areas. Processed gravel had to be brought in to cover the old railroad cinder stones, as well as for other areas where needed, creating a much improved trail surface.
Trail intersection on SNETT (L) Historic stone arch bridge, Wallum Lake Road (R)
Completed SNETT between Stone Arch Bridge, Wallum Lake Rd, to CT state line
The second area was the 1.44 miles from Monroe Street, Douglas, to West Street, Uxbridge. Drainage ditches needed to be opened up, processed gravel was added to cover more than 1,000 feet of cinder stone, the trail surface was regraded, and granite stones were set in place on the West Street entrance by the gate to keep out motorized users.
Stones set by gate at West St, Uxbridge, entrance (L) Completed section of SNETT between Monroe St and West St (R)
Between both of these sections of the SNETT, a total of 15 truckloads of gravel, approximately 375 tons, were trucked in to complete the necessary work. BSTRA is grateful to Pyne Sand and Stone Co., Inc. of Douglas for their generous donation of a portion of this material. Donations from other sponsors and individuals funded the remaining portion of the $13,400+ expense incurred by BSTRA for this project, including the cost to hire Speroni Excavating of Douglas. Volunteers came out to help with the brushing back on BSTRA work days scheduled earlier this Spring. BSTRA would like to thank all who made donations of time and funding to help make this project a reality. Your donations resulted in a tremendous reward to our trail community.
The project also included regrading 1.4 miles on the Ridge Trail in the Douglas State Forest, and this part of the project was completed earlier this year in the Spring.
With the completion of this project, BSTRA has put more than $460,000 into trail projects since 1989, and every year that amount increases. Forests and parks in 33 towns in Massachusetts, as well as in Connecticut and Rhode Island have benefitted from BSTRA projects. Trails selected for projects are used by a variety of trail users who enjoy them for outdoor recreation and fitness. Users include equestrians, hikers, mountain bikers, dog walkers, cross country skiers, snowshoers, families out walking, and even the occasional dog sledder.
Bay State Trail Riders Association, Inc. has a track record of dependability, credibility and accomplishment dating back to 1973 when they were incorporated. 100% of the money BSTRA raises is put into Massachusetts multi-user trail projects open for equestrian use. Please browse their website www.bstra.org to learn more about BSTRA and the important work they do in our community. If you would like to be part of the future of trails in your community, please make your tax-deductible donation at www.bstra.org/donate. BSTRA is now a listed charity for the PayPal Giving Fund, so when you make a donation via PayPal, an extra 1% of your donation amount will go to BSTRA from PayPal. If you would like your donation to be in memory of a loved one (whether human or other), please indicate your memorial message when you donate and it will appear on the BSTRA website under the Donate tab.
UPTON DAILY 