MMM Trail Receives National Designation!

On March 30th, 2009 CFPA was joined by Congressman Chris Murphy, Senator Christopher Dodd, and Mike Gildesgame of the Appalachian Mountain Club at a press conference at the Hill-Stead Museum to announce and celebrate the national designation of the MMM Trail. Shortly thereafter, at 3:00, President Obama made the designation official by signing into law H.R. 146, the "Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009." In addition to the MMM Trail designation, this legislation also designated  the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail and authorized funding for the Quinebaug-Shetucket National Heritage Corridor through 2015.

With the designation, the MMM (Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett) Trail officially becomes the "New England National Scenic Trail." The New England National Scenic Trail winds for over 200 miles along traprock ridges, through forests, and across a patchwork of state, municipal, and private lands in 39 communities spanning central Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. Since 1931, the Metacomet and Mattabesett Trails have been maintained as Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails by volunteers of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA). In Massachusetts, volunteers of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Berkshire Chapter have maintained the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail for the past 40 years.

Approximately two million people live within ten miles of the MMM Trail, and certain sections such as Talcott Mountain, Ragged Mountain, Chauncey Peak, Higby Mountain, the Hanging Hills, Mica Ledges, Broomstick Ledges, Bluff Head, and many others are well known regionally for providing amazing panoramic views of the Connecticut River valley and Long Island Sound. The MMM Trail travels through several "classic New England landscapes" and harbors diverse natural resources fostered by the special soils and micro-climates associated with traprock ridges. Just one walk along one section of the MMM Trail/New England National Scenic Trail will make you a believer . . . this is a special place indeed.

Under this new National Scenic Trail designation, you may wonder what is going to change? One change is that the National Park Service is now authorized to provide funding and technical assistance to help CFPA, AMC, and others to maintain and protect the Trail. Another is that a "Trail Stewardship Council" with representatives from towns, landowners, trail user organizations, and many other groups will be established to oversee maintenance and protection of the Trail's national scenic values. Finally, a "Trail Management Blueprint" is formally established as the framework for managing the Trail. This Blueprint was designed during the Trail Feasibility Study and extensive public input sessions over the past several years which determined the MMM Trail was both eligible to become a National Scenic Trail and enjoys significant community support to sustain it.

At the same time, many things will not change one bit. CFPA volunteers will continue to maintain the Trail in Connecticut. Land/Trail protection will continue to be accomplished through existing state and local entities on a willing seller basis only, and the National Park Service would not own or manage any lands. Because of the wide variety of landowners along the Trail, landowners are featured in the Blueprint which calls for the following:

• Establish a system for ongoing communication with landowners.
• All existing landowner uses and rights will continue to be at the discretion of the landowners.
• Trail protection will occur with landowners on a voluntary basis only.
• No federal eminent domain would be possible with designation.

For more information visit www.newenglandnst.org