MA DCR Announces Recreational Trail Grant Awards; Harwich Included

Department of Conservation and Recreation announces Recreational Trails Grants Awards

Island Pond Loop Trail in Harwich among those awarded funds

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently announced a total of $783,196 in grants to local communities and nonprofit organizations to fund 38 trails projects across the Commonwealth as part of its Recreational Trails Grants Program. Several additional projects were funded with previous years’ grant money. 

“Recreational trails help connect communities, provide recreational opportunities, and offer an alternative to driving,” said DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan. “The Recreational Trails Program is an excellent example of a community/state/federal partnership that supports a wide variety of local initiatives and the people who implement them.”

Recreational Trails Grants are awarded for the construction and stewardship of hiking trails, bikeways, snowmobile trails, and other kinds of trails throughout the state.  Each recipient matches its grant with at least an additional 20 percent in cash or in-kind services. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $50,000, depending on the scope of the project. Since 1993, DCR has awarded more than $3.5 million in Recreational Trails Grants in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation, and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board.

Cape Cod Awards:

Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) - Island Pond Loop Trail

This project is to create and enhance trails that provide access to 74 acres of conservation land from the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich. This grant proposal seeks to fund trail creation and physical improvements, including erosion control, as well as creation of an informational trailhead display and guide.  This project will continue a valuable public-private partnership that connects trails across land owned by the state, town, and HCT.

Grant awarded: $6,500     Match: $13,816

For more information on the Recreational Trails Program or the statewide greenway plan, contact Paul Jahnige, director of the DCR Greenways and Trails Program, at 413-586-8706, ext. 20, or at paul.jahnige@state.ma.us.

Courtesy of the DCR