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Press Release: January 30, 2008

Congressman John W. Olver
1111 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-2101

Tel: 202-225-5335
Fax: 202-226-1224

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOUSE PASSES OLVER’S BILL TO DESIGNATE NEW ENGLAND SCENIC TRAIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Congressman John W. Olver announced that the House of Representatives passed the New England Scenic Trail Designation Act on Tuesday evening by a vote of 261 to 122. This legislation will amend the National Trail System Act to designate the Monadnock, Metacoment and Mattabesett (MMM) Trail System as the New England National Scenic Trail.

"I have hiked every mail of the trail through Massachusetts, and, while some segments are very well protected, other sections have suffered serious encroachment. Not only could designation provide an opportunity for maintenance assistance, but it will also help ensure that we don’t lose the trails to residential subdivision growth," Congressman John Olver said. "This vote is a major milestone and is nearly a decade in the making," he added.

The MMM Trail system is a 190-mile trail route that has been in existence for over half a century and travels through 39 communities in central Connecticut and Massachusetts. Currently, the MMM Trail System is administered by local public and private organizations, the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in Connecticut and the Berkshire chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club in Massachusetts. The system is maintained by volunteers.

By designating the MMM Trail System a National Scenic Trail, the National Park Service (NPS) will be the lead organization charged with maintaining the trail system. Additionally, NPS would facilitate the extension of the trail to the Long Island Sound. Including the proposed trail extensions and relocations, the trail system would be approximately 220 miles in length and provide a unique opportunity for residents and visitors of New England to have access to a continuous span of protected trails stretching from Long Island Sound in the south to Mt. Monadnock in the north.

Aside from its stunning scenery and unique natural resources, the MMM trail is distinctive because it passes through some of the most densely populated parts of the country. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the 39 municipalities that the trail system is located in have a combined population of 775,604. More than 1 million additional people live within 10 miles of the trail but in communities through which the trail does not pass.

"We appreciate Congressman Olver’s continued leadership in moving the vision of the New England National Scenic Trail toward reality," said Heather Clish, the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Deputy Director of Conservation. "The trail’s route passes through areas that exemplify the quintessential New England landscape, and its proximity to highly populated areas make it a truly extraordinary recreational and community resource. Having built and maintained the Massachusetts section of this trail, we are pleased to see the trail receive the recognition it needs. We look forward to working with other regional and local stakeholders to ensure this trail can be enjoyed by many generations to come."

Adam R. Moore, Executive Director of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, said, "The Connecticut Forest & Park Association is delighted at the news that the House has passed the New England National Scenic Trail bill. The Association established the Metacomet and Mattabesett Trails in Connecticut in 1931, and through the hard work of our volunteers and the good will of civic-minded landowners, we have maintained these trails as open-to-the-public hiking trails ever since. We strongly support the designation of these trails as a National Scenic Trail. We thank Congressman Olver for his vision and thank the Connecticut delegation for their co-sponsorship and support."

Concerned with the future viability of the trail, Congressman Olver introduced a bill in May 2001 that the House passed in October 2001 to authorize the Department of Interior to conduct a feasibility study of the Monadnock, Metacomet and Mattabesett trails for possible designation as a National Scenic Trail. Over the past five years public working groups in Massachusetts and Connecticut assisted in the completion of the study and drafting of this legislation. Involvement has been open to all interested parties with considerable effort placed on engaging trail landowners and community leaders.

The study, released in spring 2006, concludes that National Scenic Trail designation is the most feasible way to generate the necessary increased levels of attention and resources to ensure the long-term viability of the MMM Trail System.

Congressman Olver introduced the bill in March with the following co-sponsors: Representatives Richard Neal (D-MA), John Larson (D-CT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

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For additional information, contact: Jamie Fosburgh, Rivers Program Manager, NER-Boston, at 617.223.5191.