Two Andover Trail Projects Receive State Boost This Week

Two Andover trail projects are among 49 across the state receiving support from Gov. Charles Baker’s administration.

The Trustees of Reservations was awarded a $26,438 grant, while the Andover Conservation Commission received $19,688 from the Recreational Trails Program. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced the statewide grants totaling $1.8 million during an event this week in Palmer.

“The Recreational Trails Program grants directly support the maintenance of hundreds of thousands of acres of forests, parklands and reservations and ensure visitors of all ages across Massachusetts have the opportunity to enjoy our parklands,” Polito said.

The Trustees of Reservations plans to construct a 700-foot accessible trail at Ward Reservation in Andover. The trail will connect a trailhead to the existing Bog Trail with a boardwalk and portion of hard-pack surface trail, leading users through a quaking bog. An additional $16,290 grant requires a match from the group. The Andover Conservation Commission will create a new trail by constructing a 450-foot boardwalk across swampy terrain. The trail will connect with many of the existing town trails, and will add a new section to the Bay Circuit Trail. An additional $11,610 grant requires a match.

Money to pay for the projects comes from the federal motor fuel excise tax on off-road vehicles including all-terrain-vehicles and snowmobiles. All grant applications were reviewed by the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board, an independent volunteer board appointed by Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy.