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News from the year 2007
2007 Annual Report
The Northborough Trails Committee's (NTC) formal name is the Trails Subcommittee of the Northborough Open Space Committee. Arthur Cole founded the Trails Committee in February of 2001 under the auspice of the Open Space Committee. The Trails Committee’s goal is to develop and maintain a viable recreational trail system in Northborough on public and private property by utilizing volunteers from the community. During the 2007 calendar year we had a busy year with our administration, trails development, and stewardship of existing trails. Some highlights of our years activates are described below. The NTC encourages everyone to enjoy the Town’s resources and to participate in NTC activities. A new addition to the NTC during 2007 is a Letter Boxing activity Blog Spot designed by
The NTC acts as the Trail Steward for the Northborough Conservation land on
The NTC also acts as Trail Steward for the Little Chauncy/Cedar Hill/Crane Swamp recreational area, which is land owned by
In April 2006 the NTC began development for an extension of the Coyote Trail at the Yellick Conservation Area. The new trail will begin at the current Coyote Trail’s dead end on the south side of the
In December 2006 the NTC received authority from the Algonquin Regional School Committee to develop trails on the woodland behind the high school. Our intent is to complete a trail connecting Rt-20 near the old rest area to
Respectfully Submitted by,
Charles Bradley & Marielle Stone, Co-Chairs
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News from the year 2005 - 2006
2006 Annual Report
The Northborough Trails Committee had the purchase of an enclosed storage trailer or storage shed on our wish list over the last few years. In September 2006 we received a cash donation from the Shay Family so we could purchase a trailer. We recently made the purchase of a 5’X8’ enclosed cargo trailer with the money and it is parked at the Police Station with our tools inside. Prior to this, members had tools and supplies at their homes and we would each bring the necessary tools to a work detail. Now all we have to do is tow the trailer to the location of the work detail with all of our tools inside. We are very thankful to our generous benefactor. We would also like to thank Police Chief Mark Leahy for allowing us to store our supplies and trailer in the storage area of the Police Department, and to our Town Planner Kathy Joubert for making these wishes come true.
Another expensive item on the NTC wish list is a commercial type mower for mowing trails. Hiking trails such as the Little Chauncy Trail require mowing several times a year due to the quick growing grass. The NTC has been borrowing a mower over the last six years, so we would like to obtain our own mower, which we would store in our new trailer.
In September 2006 Boy Scout Brian Daley from Troop 101 completed an Eagle Scout Project for the NTC. Brain, along with other Scouts installed about 300 feet of new boardwalk along the Cold Harbor Trail just south of Cherry Street. This area was regularly under water or very wet due to flooding, but now the boardwalk makes it a pleasant walk. Thank You Brian and the Scouts of Troop 101.
Also in September, the NTC had a volunteer work detail at Watson Park. We planted a blue spruce tree near the butterfly garden, repaired some blue bird houses, cleared an observation area to the pond near the beginning of the trial, installed a new bridge along the trail, and we did general trail maintenance. Thanks to all the Volunteers who turned out to help.
This summer the Northborough Trails Committee worked with New England Forestry Foundation’s land steward Forest Lyford to create a new 1.2 mile trail on the New England Forestry Foundation land located on West Main Street called the Carlstrom II Forest, the trail is named Jubilee Trail. Forest Lyford is the NEFF Steward for that property, as well a Northborough Trails Committee Member. A guided hike of the trail was led by Forest on Saturday August 19, 2006 to officially open the trail to the public. Participants were introduced to forest-management practices, geologic features, and several of the many types of trees that can be found in Central New England, including American chestnut. During the last year Forest also produced a historic interpretive trail and brochure for the Edmund Hill Woods conservation area. We will be producing the brochure with funding we received through the Community Preservation Act, and also adding a link to this website so you can print it. Copies of the brochure are presently available at the Town Hall in the Planning Department
The Northborough Trails Committee has developed an extension of the Coyote Trail at the Yellick Conservation Area. The new trail will begin at the current Coyote Trail’s dead end on the south side of the Assabet River, and then travel through the SuAsCo property southeast to the Stirrup Brook, then toward the Farm property owned by the Town on Rt-20, then around to the Assabet River and out to Boundary Street. We hope to complete the trail by returning to the Yellick Conservation Area on the sewer line from Boundary Street then onto Hudson Street. The complete loop would be approximately 3 miles long. We’ve obtained Conservation Commission approval for the areas the new trail travels through wetlands, but we’re waiting on final approval from the State and then we'll begin building the Coyote Trail extension.
Mt. Pisgah - In June 2005 under a stewardship agreement with MassWildLife, the Trails committee took over maintenance of about three miles of recently developed trails on the MassWildLife property located on the south end of Mt. Pisgah. The Fisher Trail and a small portion of the Vernal Pool Trail are on private property, and those land owners have agreed to allow the publics continued use of those trails, publication on a new map, and our maintenance of the trails.
In June 2006 a new map of the Mt. Pisgah conservation area was completed by the Sudbury Valley Trustees after nearly a years worth of work between our two organizations. The map shows all the trails open to the public’s use from the MassWildLife land on the south side of Mt. Pisgah to Linden Street in Berlin on the north side. See the Trails link for the map.
Crane Swamp & Cedar Hill – In April 2006 the Mass Water Resources Authority reopened a connector trail from the Crane Swamp Trail to the SVT Sawink Farm property. The Crane Swamp Conservation Area contains over 2,000 acres of conservation land owned by Massachusetts state agencies and local land trusts. The Crane Swamp, Cedar Hill and Sawink Farm lands have over 10 miles of connected trails, which also provide access to the MassWildLife properties at Little Chauncy and Chauncy Lake. The towns of Northborough, Marlborough, Southborough, and Westborough have been involved in developing this network of trails, and in April 2006 the SVT created a new trail map of the area.
Respectfully Submitted by,
Charles Bradley & Marielle Stone, Co-Chairs
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