Dear ECTA Supporters,
2012 has been a busy and productive year for the Essex County Trail Association. We are especially proud of the recent completion of major projects in Willowdale State Forest and at the New England Biolabs property.
The Three Pipe Trail in Willowdale is a vital link used by mountain bikers, runners, hikers, cross-country skiers, and equestrians. It has been under water for many years because of three failed culverts. With Conservation Commission permission and the approval of State Park management, ECTA has replaced the collapsed culverts, and resurfaced sections of the causeway and trail with pack material. The renewal of this trail has made for a beautiful and safe experience, and has earned us unanimous thumbs up from trail users.
The New England Biolabs project has been a three-year undertaking to restore and expand a neglected and underused trail system. ECTA cleared and reopened old trails and installed flow devices (“beaver deceiversâ€) to ensure drainage, keep the footing dry and reduce standing water where mosquitoes might breed. Like the Three Pipe Trail in Willowdale State Forest, the Biolabs improvements have met with the enthusiastic approval of users, and we hope that many more will soon discover and enjoy these beautiful trails.
These successes are, however, only two of the many important and ongoing ECTA endeavors. This year also saw the relocation of the Donovan Hill Trail at Sagamore Hill which now links the Town of Hamilton’s Donovan Ballfields to the Clark and Sears trails and beyond; the rerouting, mapping and signage of the Discover Hamilton Trail; the expansion of the Riverbend and Ocean Meadow trail networks in West Newbury; and the completion of Hamilton’s Brick Ends Farm trail easement, to list just a few.
ECTA’s commitment to the preservation and maintenance of the trails will, of course, continue undiminished, but it has become apparent that that the acquisition of permanent easements is a high priority.
Thirty years ago, this organization grew out of the vision of a few landowners who understood and valued the basic human need for open space, and saw access to it threatened by development. Originally founded to preserve and protect bridle paths, ECTA now has a diverse membership of over 600 and helps to maintain 450 miles of connecting trails for the use of hikers, runners, bikers, and birders, as well as horseback riders.
Times have changed, and whereas in the old days a verbal agreement and a handshake between neighbors was all it took, today, because of increasing subdivision and frequent changes in ownership, we must be prepared to acquire and hold easements on at-risk trails.
The future challenges for ECTA are greater than ever. Please contribute your generous support today to continue our important trail repair work and to help us secure easements that will guarantee the integrity of the trail network forever.
Sincerely,
Peter Campot
Chairman, Board of Directors
