The Recreation Trail Group (RTG), a subcommittee of the Harvard Parks and Recreation Commission, was recently selected to be a recipient of the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s recreation trail grant program.
The award will help fund the first phase of the recreation trail that will connect major recreation areas in town by way of nonvehicular pathways. When completed, the trail system will connect the town beach, the schools, the town center, Ryan Land playing fields, and Harvard Park. The trail will be a combination of roadside pathways, improved shoulders, woodland trails, and existing paved paths. The grant award, which is a 20:80 match grant, was secured by using CPC funds and donated labor and materials totaling $10,427. This was then matched by the state in the 20:80 ratio to obtain $41,709.
These funds are for the phase one section of this trail, which will connect the Ryan Land playing fields on Depot Road to Harvard Park on Lancaster County Road. This trail section will contain an improved shoulder and restriping of Depot Road and a woodland path that runs along the north side of Route 2 to Lancaster County Road. This woodland path is one that was cut by the Harvard Snowmobile Club and recently moved by the club so that it is farther away from the highway. Easements from the state and private landowners have allowed this path to be safe and scenic.
Anyone who would like to find out more about the trail or would like to know how to help out is invited to attend an informational meeting Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Hapgood Room at the old library at 7:30 p.m. For more information contact me at j_lee@dfci.harvard.edu or 978-456-3122.
Jim Lee
East Bare Hill Road
