B A Y S T A T E T R A I L R I D E R S A S S O C I A T I O N, I N C.

Transcription

1 With another successful grant project under our belt and the volunteer efforts of our members we had another impressive year. We covered six towns this year with a total of volunteer hours worth $9,804.08, $11, in cash, $1, in donated gravel, and $13,403 from a grant awarded by the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. All together this gives us $36, put into trails for 2015! We use the Independent Sector rate of $27.82 for Massachusetts for volunteer work to figure the value of services. The six towns that we covered this year are Mendon, Oxford, Upton, Douglas, Peru and Winchendon. Trails Report 2015 B A Y S T A T E T R A I L R I D E R S A S S O C I A T I O N, I N C. W e s t H i l l D a m A p r i l 1 1 t h Bay State Trail Riders Association (BSTRA) held its 22nd annual trail work day at West Hill Dam in Uxbridge on April 11th. Our partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) started in 1993 to start improving the Woodland Trail that is open to hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. This partnership ensures that the trails stay in good shape without taxing the personnel at ACE as recreation is not the main mandate of the ACE. Their main mandate is flood control. In the 22 years that we have been doing this trail work day, this is the first time we still had snow on the ground. That made it pretty interesting to try and clean out the water bars that were still under snow. But the shovels came in handy, we dug out the snow and then cleaned out the water bars. We had nine BSTRA members (Barbara McCumber, Suzanne Nicholas, Karen Parlin, Becky Kalagher, Mary McManus, Sue Perry, Gloria Duhaime, Sue Quirk, Bill Knott, and Annamaria Paul) join us along with Viola and Drew with the ACE. We cleaned out the water bars, cleaned up winter debris, did some trimming back and picked up trash. All totaled we put in 25.5 hours for our mornings work. This has a value of $709.41

2 P a g e 2 T r a i l s R e p o r t Park Serve Day Upton MA On April 25th members of Friends of Upton State Forest (FUSF) and Bay State Trail Riders Association (BSTRA), and one CCC alumnus, along with other members of the public, joined Blackstone staff members, Val Stegemoen, Bill Paul and Joe for the annual Park Serve Day event at Upton State Forest. Here is a report from Rose, Bill and Gloria regarding their work around the access trail, trailhead parking lot and culvert. Thanks so much for your efforts in coordinating the Park Serve Day at Upton today. So much got done. As I didn t see what was going on in the parking area, I know you couldn t see what the 3 of us were doing. Gloria is such a hard worker! We did a lot of trimming back including several large patches of thorn bushes and vines on the trail to the car parking area. We also cut back and cleared the bypass path that goes to the right connecting to beyond the gate. She and I cleared the branches and leaves that were stopping up both ends of the culvert on the stream (after the gate), and we trimmed along both sides of the car parking area. Thanks to the following BSTRA members: Agnita Knot, Gloria Duhaime, Donna Johnson, Suzanne Nicholas, Lurissa Marston, and Rose & Bill Zariczny. Our BSTRA members put in a total of 24 hours worth $ Trail Work Morning at Lake Dennison, Winchendon MA On June 24th two BSTRA members joined five members of the North Quabbin Trails Association to work on Wetmore Road trail and Rocket Ext. Trail. Work consisted of cutting, brushing back and pole saw work to get proper height clearance for horseback riders. All totaled 12 hours of trail work were put in for a value of $333.84

3 P a g e 3 T r a i l s R e p o r t Public Lands Day Upton MA The following people from BSTRA and the Friends of Upton State Forest Trails Committee helped out on the work day held on Saturday, September 19th. Donna Johnson, Lurissa Marston, Joyce Sandvik, Suzanne Nicholas. We cleared out the upper Nut Hatch trail starting from Westboro Road to Park Road. Not a lot of clearing was needed but there is a very large tree that fell across the trail (about half way up) which will need to be removed by DCR. Riders can get around the tree but is definitely too big to walk over. We also cleared out an old bridge that was on a trail that is between Ridge Road and Westboro Road. Trail Work By Members June 12th: Trim trails at Hodges Village Dam Oxford MA. 6.5 hours worth $ June 13th: Trim trail down to river at Hodges Village Dam Oxford MA. 1 hour worth $27.82 July 5th: Trim trails at Inman Hill Wildlife Conservation Area, Mendon MA. 8 hours worth $ Aug. 20th: Clean up downed tree blocking trail at Douglas State Forest, MA. 45 minutes worth $20.87 Sept 15th: Trimming back trails at Douglas State Forest, MA. 2 hours worth $55.64 May to Nov.: Peru MA. Peru State Forest and the Dorothy Rice Francis. A total of hours spent mowing and clearing trails. This is worth $3, They put in a total of 6.5 hours valued at $ Donna Johnson at Park Serve Day in Upton

4 Trail improvements on the SNETT and Ridge Trail 2015 Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Partnership Grant Report By Becky Kalagher - Bay State Trail Riders Association Grant award $13,403 Match: cash $11, In 2015, Bay State Trail Riders Association, Inc. (BSTRA) was awarded a partnership grant through the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. Our project had two components: 1. To improve a section of Ridge Trail in the Douglas State Forest (1.4 miles) 2. To improve two sections of the SNETT in Douglas. The first section is from the state line to Wallum Lake Road (2.46 miles) and from Monroe St. to West St. (1.44 miles) Volunteer labor $3, Lunch for volunteers $ Donated gravel $1, Total Project Value Component number 1 started out with a trail work day on April 18, We tackled cutting and brushing back a section of the trail. This was accomplished by DCR, BSTRA members, and Dynamy Youth Academy members coming together to help improve the trails at the Douglas State Forest. All totaled we had 21 people working. We split into two crews. DCR personnel Paul, Steve and Ron headed out before the rest of us did. They wanted to get a head start with the brush cutter and pole saw work. This strategy provided a safe working distance between the power tools and the volunteers picking up the cut brush.

5 DCR Cary started at the other end. He used his chainsaw for small trees that needed to be removed. The crew on this end had a hand pole saw to trim up to horseback height. We paired up a student or two with one of the adult BSTRA members who were all seasoned trail workers that could impart their wisdom on correct trail working techniques. After a hard morning s work, we all gathered together at the Wallis Street parking area for a well-deserved lunch provided by BSTRA. In May Speroni Excavation set to work re-grading and establishing drainage swales to stop further erosion. Principles for Project Management Success Component number 2 started out with Park Serve Day on April 25, This trail work day targeted the section of the SNETT between Monroe Street and West Street (1.44 miles). Before the work day, DCR Cary had taken the tractor with a sickle bar and cut down all the small brush on both sides of this section. With 18 people working, we split into two crews starting at opposite ends to cut and trim back both sides of this section of the SNETT. After a hard mornings work, we gathered for lunch which was provided by BSTRA. Oct. 26, 2015 Speroni Excavating (Douglas MA) started work on the section of the SNETT between the state line and Wallum Lake Road (2.46 miles). His work entailed cutting and brushing back, re-opening blocked ditches and drainage swales, and re-grading the trail surface. On Nov. 23, 2015 Speroni Excavating started work on the last section of the SNETT targeted by this grant between Monroe Street and West Street (1.44 miles). This section was re-graded, drainage ditches opened and a 1000 foot section of cinders was topped with stone dust. We would like to thank Pyne Sand & Stone of Douglas MA for donating 5 loads of processed gravel (5 truck loads). BSTRA sincerely thanks the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and their partnership grant program for the opportunity to improve the SNETT and Ridge Trail in the Douglas State Forest. Trail Work Day April 18, 2015 Volunteers: DCR personnel Cary VandenAkker, Paul Gosselin, Steve Lovejoy and Ron Anderson. BSTRA members Barbara McCumber, Becky Kalagher, Karen Parlin, Bill Knott, Sue Quirk, Kathy Richards and Gloria Duhaime. Dynamy Youth Academy advisor Fabian Glenn and students Christopher Porhilla, Mark Coplin, D mone Walker, Judy Nguyen, Naheer Lahdo, Malik Bailey, Jazmine Dion, Dalena Truong and Alenis. All totaled we put in hours. Using Massachusetts volunteer hour rate ($27.82 per hour), that gives us a value of $1, that was put back into trails. Plus BSTRA paid $ to feed our volunteers.

6 Park Serve Day April 25, 2015 SNETT between Monroe St. Douglas West St. Uxbridge and Volunteers: DCR personnel: Paul Gosselin, Steve Lovejoy, Ron Anderson, Dan Davis and Marina Goloborodko. BSTRA members: Becky Kalagher, Karen Parlin, Bill Knott, Barbara McCumber, Joan Lowbridge-Sisley and Sue Quirk. Friends of the SNETT: Jean & Chris Keyes. Douglas High School students: Laim Madden, Sean Brunson and Nicholas Daly. Surprise Volunteers: Jennifer Carlono and Shane Culliton. For Park Serve Day we put in a total of hours for a value of our service of $1, Plus BSTRA paid $ for lunch.

7 Park Serve Day April 27, 2014

8 Before pictures of Ridge Trail

9 Ridge Trail work in progress and finished grade.

10 SNETT: Before Pictures between stone arch bridge and state line.

11 SNETT: Work in progress between stone arch bridge and state line.

12 SNETT: Finish between stone arch bridge and state line.

13 SNETT: Finish between stone arch bridge and state line. SNETT: New sign installed by High St./ S.W. Main St. access

14 SNETT between Monroe St. Douglas and West St. Uxbridge Before by pipeline crossing After pipeline heading towards Monroe St. Graded section by the pipeline

15 Blocked off access to ORV s. Work in progress

16 Roughed in area just before the cinder stone area Same section nicely graded

17 Cinders covered with processed gravel Cinder stones

18 Roughed in section Same section nicely graded

19 West Street gate access West Street gate access with stones set

20 Bay State Trail Riders Association 24 Glenn Street Douglas, MA ph