11-1SG Newfound Pathway Team
Grant Round:
2011 February
Grant Program:
Small Grants
Grant Type:
Other Grants
Grant amount requested:
1,630.00
Grant amount awarded:
$1,000.00
Attachments
Please provide a brief description of the project for which you seek funding.
The vision of the Newfound Lake Pathway Committee is to build a multi-use pathway around the perimeter of the lake in order to make this beautiful, natural environment accessible to residents and vacationers of all ages. Since its inception, the Committee has been working to raise community awareness and support for the project. We have received letters of support from local leaders and concerned citizens. We are partnering with Plymouth State University’s Center for Active Living and Healthy Communities and the Newfound Lake Region Association, a local non-profit watershed protection organization, who is very supportive of the project and has provided advice and resources. The Newfound Lake area lacks a system of safe pedestrian/bicycle pathways that would a) link the entire community by non-motorized means of transportation, b) provide a safe venue for the pursuit of healthy recreation and c) support local commerce, the historical and recreational heritage of Newfound Lake. All but a small section of the eighteen miles of state roads surrounding Newfound Lake are curved and hilly with very narrow or no shoulders. The long- term goal of the Newfound Lake Pathway Committee is to build a multiuse pathway around the perimeter of Newfound Lake to provide approximately 18 miles of safe, attractive, and healthy activity for walkers and cyclists in spring, summer, and fall and for cross country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. This goal will be accomplished in multiple phases. Phase 1 (the Project) encompasses a stretch along Route 3A in the town of Hebron. Four residential youth camps, several condominium associations, and a motel are located along this segment. Personnel from the camps, residents, and visitors all walk and bicycle along this section of the highway under extremely hazardous conditions. This section of Route 3A has a 50 mph speed limit and is heavily used by logging trucks, semi’s vans, and RV’s as well as the normal commercial trucks and commuting or vacationing vehicles.. The conceptual engineering plan created in 2010 studied the terrain along this segment, identified potential environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands, and provided a visual, workable assessment of the proposed trail route. Phase 2 will go west into Hebron Village via the North Shore Road area. Phase 3 and 4 takes the pathway in a southerly direction down the west side of the lake for 7+ miles, passing Wellington State Park, and direct access to Appalachian Mountain Club hiking trails and Cardigan Mountain State Park. We are requesting a grant of $1630 from the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund for money to be used for brochures, maps, and flyers to be handed out at community events, town meetings, and fundraising events, as well as liability insurance costs for organized bicycle and running/walking events. We also need $$ for development and renewal of our website. 2. If your project is successful, what changes will occur in your community and its environment? Please include timeline/steps for its completion. Our successfully completed project will enable the residents of and visitors to our community to safely enjoy the beautiful environment while engaging in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. Phase I will raise awareness within the wider community for the desirability of the pathway and the advantages of continuing and completing our long-term goals. Our timeline to project completion: Phase 1 2014, Phase 2 2020, Phase 3-5 2030
Project Summary
The Pathway Team received a grant in 2011 to fund outreach needs including website maintenance, brochures, and maps, and insurance for biking/walking events that the group hosts to build interest for and awareness of the trail.
Primary Issue Area:
Land & Water
Please break-down/categorize the program expenses:
| Proposed Item | Estimated $ Amount | Would grant funds be used for this item? | Type Of Expense |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 Brochures/flyers | $617.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Maps | $268.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Website devel & renewal | $125.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Liability insurance | $620.00 | Yes | Materials |
Whom does your group need to make this project happen?
Please explain how your group will engage members from your community in this project.
This year we will increase public awareness and engage community members to move our project forward by: * Having an information booth at local communities events such as fairs, markets, old home days * Hosting informative and fundraising events, including organized bicycle rides, walks, runs * Hosting a relay event for the camps and youth groups in the area * Expanding our email list and sending out a Newfound Pathway quarterly newsletter * Engaging the members of neighboring walking, running, and cycling clubs by inviting them to our organized events * Participating in town hall meetings that pertain to recreation, transportation, trails, and public health * Developing partnerships with additional community organizations that are promoting trails, healthy outdoor recreation, community building, smart growth, and sustainable communities and natural areas * Organize roadside cleanup parties and participate in other community improvement projects * Continue to work with private landowners to gain their support and obtain easements for our pathway.
If your group receives a NEGEF Grow grant, how do you plan to pay for remaining expenses?
| $ Amount | Source |
|---|---|
| $1,630.00 | NEGEF Grant |
Please list these materials or services
| $ Amount | Item |
|---|---|
| $1,000.00 | Website devel. 50 hrs |
Please describe what changes will occur in your community and its environment when your group's project is successful.
Positive changes that we envision when Phase 1 of the pathway is completed: - A safe non-motorized route to schools, work, stores. (measured by surveys, headcount sampling) - Lower rates of childhood and adult obesity in the community due to a safe and beautiful trail that can be used for both recreation and non-motorized transportation (partner with Plymouth U. Center for Active Living to measure this) - Improved physical and emotional health of residents and visitors to the Newfound Lake area that use the trail. (measured by surveys, headcount sampling of trail users) - Increased public awareness of the benefits of having separating pedestrians and cyclists from motor vehicles and increased appreciation of the beautiful natural environment around the lake. - Improved air and water quality when people use the pathway to commute to schools, work, stores. (each car not used for commute lessens the commuter's carbon footprint) - Avoidance of serious injuries caused by collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists. (traffic and accident statistics by towns' public safety orgs. and NH DOT Positive changes we envision when all phases of the pathway are completed: - A pathway that connects all the Newfound Lake area towns, improving inter-community relations. - A pathway circling Newfound Lake that promotes outdoor recreation by connecting the area's numerous recreational sites: town beaches, Wellington State Park, Audubon properties, rivers, and town/county/state forests and trails. - Increase of tourism in the Newfound Lake area. (partner with Chamber of Commerce and Lakes region planning commission to measure this)
Please list how many people in your community your group expects to actively engage in this project.
1 000
What relevant skills does the group need (but does not currently have access to) to help move the initiative forward?
We need additional expertise in public relations, fundraising, accounting, community organizing, and more volunteers willing to commit time and talent to the project.
What relevant skills do current members of the group have to help move the initiative forward?
Board and committee member of various organizations, law, project and people management, grant writing, surveying, civil engineering, trail building, public safety(police officer), web development, graphic design, community organizing, teaching, public speaking, fundraising, budget and finance management, walking, running, xskiing, cycling, wildlife, boating, and environmental sustainability enthusiasts.