FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2006
Based on initial review of the draft Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment issued by the National Park Service, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) offers the following preliminary comments.
The AMC, as principal steward of the trail in Massachusetts, will provide additional comments after reviewing the documents in greater detail.
The Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesset (MMM) Trail system consists of three trails: the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts, and the Metacomet and Mattabesett trails in Connecticut. The trails collectively cover 190 miles, from the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border south toward Long Island Sound.
As documented by the draft study, the MMM Trail system includes a range of scenic vistas, features, and historic sites that make it worthy of National Scenic Trail designation. These attributes include: scenic mountain ranges; vistas of historic towns and lands that exemplify the classic New England landscape; outdoor recreation potential provided by proximity and accessibility to significant population areas; geological resources, including one of the “best places in the world to view an array of volcanic, sedimentary, and glacial geology;” and richness of natural communities.
Based on an initial reading of the draft study issued by the National Park Service, AMC offers the following observations:
- Because of AMC’s interest in the long-term viability of the trail system, we believe that Alternative 3, which would designate a “New England National Scenic Trail” from Long Island Sound to the New Hampshire border, including a deviation from the existing route in Massachusetts and an extension in Connecticut to Long Island Sound, is an appropriate alternative. Alternative 3 is the National Park Service’s Preferred Management Alternative.
This alternative includes a new unified name for the full route, such as the “New England National Scenic Trail.” Although it is still conceptual, the proposed deviation from the historical Metacomet-Monadnock Trail route between Mount Holyoke Range and Wendell State Forest would pass through areas that already have more public land and through the Greater Quabbin Landscape area, which is a high priority area for future protection. The goal of the conceptual new route is to avoid an area where there is currently very little permanently protected land, and where there is strong landowner disinterest in federal involvement in the trail.
National Scenic Trail designation would provide an opportunity for new funding resources toward trail management and protection. In addition, designation would bring partners and communities together in a Stewardship Council to implement the “Blueprint for Management” recommended in the draft study.
- We support the general concepts laid out in the “Blueprint for Management,” including a Stewardship Council to coordinate trail management and protection.
We believe a coordinated approach involving a broad range of partners with an interest in the future of the trail, including the local communities and both public and private landowners, is critical to ensuring the trail’s longevity as a resource of local, regional, and national value. Further, National Scenic Trail designation would provide the needed resources to maintain effective, ongoing communication with all stakeholders, including landowners, states, users and local land trusts.
- We believe that the limited role the study proposes for the National Park Service to provide technical and financial assistance to local trail partners is appropriate and has the potential to benefit the long-term viability of the long-distance trail.
We believe that support and assistance for a local approach to trail management and protection, as opposed to direct acquisition and management by the National Park Service, is appropriate. As the study indicates, local organizations and agencies have a long history with the trail and have established many relationships to build and maintain the trail. However, no single entity is truly able to implement strategies to ensure the long-term viability and protection of the trail. Assistance from the National Park Service, without direct National Park Service ownership or management of trail lands, will provide a critical boost to local capacity that enables implementation of the “Blueprint for Management” while retaining the spirit of partnership and local collaboration.
Volunteers from the AMC’s Berkshire Chapter initially constructed the 89-mile Metacomet-Monadnock (M-M) Trail during a span of 15 years starting in 1951. This trail comprises the Massachusetts portion of the MMM Trail system included in the draft feasibility study. Today, AMC Berkshire Chapter volunteers continue to maintain and manage the trail, which passes through 19 communities stretching from Agawam to Royalston, Massachusetts. Less than half of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail is considered permanently protected for public use, and the trail’s protection was identified as a top priority in Massachusetts’ “Commonwealth Connections,” which presents a greenway vision for the state.
AMC appreciates the willingness of landowners to accommodate the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and remains committed to working with landowners to ensure that the trail continues to be both a viable and welcomed feature of the landscape. AMC is especially committed to two key basic recommendations of the study: (1) that land should only be purchased for trail protection from willing landowners and (2) that no segment of the “New England National Scenic Trail” should be recognized as such against the wishes of the landowner.
AMC also applauds the National Park Service and the project leaders for the work that went into the study, for organizing opportunities for public comment, and for responding to the recommendations of landowners, trail maintainers, users, and other stakeholders throughout the study process.
Information about the study and how to comment is available at www.mmmtrail.org. This site also includes a link to the National Park Service website to read or download the study and submit comment. The deadline for public comments is October 16, 2006.
To learn more about AMC’s trail stewardship programs, please visit www.outdoors.org/trails.
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the nation. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.
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