Tom Sexton, director of RTC’s Northeast Regional Office, presented the check at the monthly Friends meeting at the Goffstown Recreation Center.

“We were lucky enough to snowshoe a few miles of the trail today with some of its supporters,” says Sexton. “The trail is a beauty and has the potential to be a great community asset, we are happy to support it.”

Monetary support for the development of the Goffstown Rail Trail is expected to come from federal and state grants. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s $2,400 grant will help the town cover their share of the funding. The grant was made possible through the Challenge Cost Share Program, an initiative of the National Park Service.

“It is a lifesaver!” said Jim Bingham, town liaison to the Friends of Goffstown Rail Trail. “In order to make this rail-trail construction a reality, it’s contributions like this that help volunteers continue reaching their goal of opening up this trail to the public.”

When completed, the Goffstown Rail Trail will be a multi-use, gravel trail for bicycles and pedestrians. The rail-trail will connect Pinardville, Grasmere and Goffstown Village. The trail connects many community highlights such as the Parks and Recreation facility, the ball fields at the Villa Augustina and the new Sarette field. Volunteers began clearing the first mile of the trail in August 2007.

“The rail-trail is a unique situation [because] it links nearly all the major recreational centers and schools within town,” said Bingham. “As Manchester is developing their greenway trail, it will connect right up to ours so one can go from Goffstown Village right into downtown Manchester.”

Funding from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy will be used to construct the trail head and first mile of trail. To learn more about rail-trails in New Hampshire and beyond, visit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on the Web at www.railstotrails.org.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization with more than 100,000 members and donors, advocates for healthier lifestyles by creating a nationwide network of public trails, many from former rail lines and connecting corridors.

Founded in 1986, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. Visit on the Web at www.railstotrails.org.

Reproduced by the Goffstown Residents Association.