Concord, N.H.—Today, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the nation’s largest trail advocacy group, announced $45,000 in awards to three organizations to improve state and regional trail connectivity in New Hampshire. Friends of River Park is among 45 projects across 15 states and the District of Columbia that have been awarded a combined $308,500 in funding by RTC to support community-led efforts to connect more people with trails in their neighborhoods.
"As someone who has been working toward regional trail connectivity in the Upper Valley for nearly 15 years, I am thrilled to hear about the upcoming Rails-to-Trails Conservancy grant to support the West Lebanon Greenway,” said Russell Hirschler, executive director of Upper Valley Trails Alliance, a partner of one of the grant recipients. “This opportunity will go a long way to help make West Lebanon a central hub in a growing regional trail network—connecting local communities to the expanding New England Rail-Trail network. The Upper Valley Trails Alliance is ecstatic to be a part of this amazing project."
The RTC grants will be filling two critical trail gaps in a popular New Hampshire trail near the Manchester and Vermont borders. The 110-mile Granite State Rail Trail runs through New Hampshire with connections to Massachusetts and Vermont. It is an important part of an inter-state regional trail network vision that, when complete, will link six New England states. Once these gaps are filled, New Englanders and tourists will be able to travel among three states via trails.
“At RTC, we believe that trails have the power to transform communities and create joyful, vibrant public spaces that are equitable and inclusive,” said Liz Thorstensen, RTC’s vice president of trail development. “These grants are an intentional investment in the partners and people who are working on the ground—in their neighborhoods and in their states—to establish the programming and the infrastructure necessary to invite everyone living in a community to enjoy their trails. Our partners are leading the way to a future where trails connect everyone, everywhere.”
RTC’s Trail Grant Program emphasizes strategic investments that support significant regional and community trail development goals—often providing funding for projects that are small in scope and scale and can be hard to finance within traditional funding streams. These projects are essential to building, maintaining and managing the trails that communities rely upon for recreation, transportation and economic vitality.
"The West Lebanon Greenway coalition greatly appreciates the support from Rail-to-Trails Conservancy toward the long-standing vision of a trail connecting communities along the Connecticut River, from the Mascoma River Greenway to the Boston Lot,” said Chet Clem, president of Lyme Properties, the developer of River Park, a trail-oriented development along a portion of the trail route. “The 6-acre waterfront at River Park was donated to Friends of River Park in part to facilitate this trail that will reconnect the community to its scenic river, provide non-vehicular connectivity to the region, and help spur new economic growth and revitalize downtown West Lebanon. We’re excited to see the pieces finally coming together, and this is a critical moment to take action.”
The three New Hampshire-based grant recipients are: Friends of River Park, the New Hampshire Rail-Trails Coalition and Friends of the Northern Rail Trail. All grantees are working to advance interstate trail connections among New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont, enhancing regional economic and tourism opportunities.
With more than half of the inter-state trail network complete, continued funding for New England’s trails is key. The New England Rail-Trail Network will span 1,100-miles across Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut—offering eco-friendly alternative transportation and tourism opportunities to the region.
Since 2008, RTC has distributed $2,373,320 in trail development grants. For a listing of all grant recipients, visit railstotrails.org/grants. To learn more about the New England Rail-Trail Network, visit RTC’s website.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong—dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.