$1.1 million grant will support trail construction in the Moosehead Region

    GREENVILLE — The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) announced recently that it will work with the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation (MLREDC), Plum Creek and the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) to invest $1.1 million in trail construction and maintenance over the next five years to help build recreational trails in the Moosehead and 100-Mile Wilderness regions

    This will be part of a larger effort to further grow the nature-based tourism economy in the region.
    The investment is made possible by a grant to AMC from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation. The expanded trails stewardship effort will include the creation of new trails on AMC lands and support construction and maintenance of trails on surrounding conservation lands owned by Plum Creek BPL.
    This investment, announced in partnership with Plum Creek and MLREDC, will match an additional $1 million that has already been committed by Plum Creek to trails construction in the region. BPL is managing the Plum Creek funding and trail construction in partnership with a Moosehead Trails Advisory Committee.
    “This investment will play a substantial role in future economic development of the Moosehead Region and will directly benefit communities around Piscataquis County, including Greenville, Shirley and Rockwood,” said Craig Watt, MLREDC member. “Individuals, businesses, and organizations have worked together to conserve hundreds of thousands of acres in the region, and now we can help ensure these lands provide additional opportunities for outdoor recreation and the related economic benefits that come with improved recreational access. We believe these trails will help to solidify the region’s status as a true world-class destination for outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism,” said Walter Graff, senior vice president for the AMC.
    “We are thankful to the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation for making this investment in recreational infrastructure in the region,” he added.
    “We are grateful to AMC and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation for this generous investment,” said Luke Muzzy, senior land manager for Plum Creek. “This additional partnership will help ensure that the expansive trail system is planned, developed and maintained to be a long-term asset to the Moosehead Lake region.”
    “This grant from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation is great news for the support it provides to outdoor recreation coordination in the Moosehead Lake Region,” said Rex Turner, outdoor recreation planner with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. “The Moosehead Lake region is one of the state’s most iconic destinations with state, private, and non-profit conservation underpinning a variety of tremendous outdoor activities.”
    As a part of this investment, AMC is hiring a Moosehead Region Trails Supervisor – a new full-time salaried position based in Greenville to oversee AMC trails and assist in construction and maintenance of regional trails.
    With more than 4,000 members in Maine, the AMC offers educational programs for children, adults, and families; operates its Maine Wilderness Lodges for the public in the 100-Mile Wilderness region; operates Knubble Bay Camp and Beal Island Campground in Georgetown and Echo Lake Camp in Acadia National Park; publishes the popular AMC Maine Mountain Guide; and maintains offices in Portland and Greenville.
    The MLREDC was formed in September of 2013 and is charged with growing and sustaining local businesses, attracting and creating new jobs and enhancing the economy of the Moosehead Lake Region.