MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The group that is overseeing the construction of the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail across northern Vermont says it is open to the idea of having the state help pay to maintain the trail once it’s finished.
Ken Brown, of the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, which has led the effort to build the cross-state multi-use trail for more than two decades, said he welcomes the conversation underway now with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation over the expected $350,000 annual maintenance cost.
“It goes beyond being willing,” Brown said. “We’re supportive of the possibility.”
Currently 34 miles of the trail is open and VAST is responsible for maintenance. The state hopes to finish construction on the trail, which runs between Swanton and St. Johnsbury, next year.
“It’s reasonable to contemplate FPR playing this role,” Forestry Commissioner Michael Snyder Snyder said during a recent meeting of the House and Senate transportation committees. “It could make some sense.”
The Caledonian Record reports the Vermont Agency of Transportation is now handling the remaining trail work, including the replacement of six bridges, but VAST remains responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the current sections of trail.
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