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There's Still Time to Help Design New Trail Corridor

November 30, 2010 - The soon-to-open 5-mile trail linking Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal with the Pineland Public Lands to the west will offer a huge swath of land in southern Maine for outdoors recreation.

But how that newly protected land in Gray, North Yarmouth and New Gloucester will be used remains a question after a year of debate, and what shape that trail system will take is still open for discussion.

Public comments will be taken at a Dec. 8 meeting in New Gloucester.

The crux of the debate, according to state recreation planner Rex Turner, is whether the corridor between the two state properties should have one trail or more.

"Now it's a single trail. It's not the only issue that has raised heads, but it's where I feel the most divergence of opinion has taken place," said Turner, the outdoor recreation planner with the Department of Conservation.

Pownal selectman Tim Giddindge, a member of the eight-member advisory committee that worked on the plan, thinks the corridor should have one trail to keep it wild and to better serve hunters, naturalists and birders.

But Giddindge said the two mountain bike advocates on the committee are pushing for more than one trail, and he thinks the state is now leaning in that direction.

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease," Giddindge said.

Brian Stearns, who has represented mountain biking interests as a member of the Friends of Bradbury, thinks there should be two trails, at a minimum. But Stearns also said he would be happy with just one more trail in the corridor -- and a moratorium on additional trails there.

But the fact remains, the eight-member advisory group that represents birders, equestrians, hikers, hunters and mountain bikers has not agreed on other parts of the plan.

Giddindge, who represents hunters, said they would like to see most of the corridor between Bradbury park and the public reserve lands left wild.

"I don't think the hunting population is really thrilled all this is going on. It's taken a lot of open land out of the hands of private landowners and put in restrictions," Giddindge said.

At the same time, Giddindge said there are people on both sides of the debate who are not happy, and the mountain bikers already have given up other trails they wanted, he said.

"I know the mountain biking group really wanted the Tryon Mountain area. That group didn't really get that," he said.

Tryon Mountain, which lies to the west of Bradbury in Pownal, just before the recently protected area, is another question.

Stearns said there are trails there that have been used for mountain biking, even for organized races. He said more than one trail definitely should be opened in that area.

"I think they have taken an ultra-conservative position and there is room for compromise," Stearns said. "The trails already exist. They just have to turn them into usable trails."

Creating the plan was a year-long process that Turner said resulted in a variety of perspectives.

The management plan will map out the way the land parcel will be used for the next 15 years.

However, Turner emphasized the current plan is not a done deal.

"We are still listening and collecting a lot of feedback. The draft is just a draft. We have to balance a variety of uses and interests and land values, everything from wildlife to open space, hunting, trail use, scenic and cultural and historic considerations," Turner said.

He expects the plan to be made official by the end of the year and the corridor trail to be opened in the next year, although it could take longer, Turner said.

"People who are interested and have the ability are welcome to get out on the trail and explore it on foot, just as with all our public lands," Turner said.

The only thing that seems certain with the new land around Bradbury State Park, the entire process for this large parcel has stumped people involved in the planning process.

"What is traditional use, and what is the time period that applies to?" wondered Giddindge, the Pownal hunter. "Two generations from now a mountain bike father may say to his daughter or son, 'This is where grandpa broke his collar bone (while mountain biking)."

By Deirdre Fleming dfleming@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer , November 28


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