b'16 LAMOILLE VALLEY RAIL TRAIL REPORTSubmitted by Ken Brown, Trails Manager and LVRT Project ManagerWhat has been going on: on the trail for one week, cleaning culverts. Using just hand tools they were able to easily get to the With funding from VAST, the State transportationinlets and outlets and move quickly, providing bill (2018), and an anonymous donation we hadsome basic maintenance on about 20 miles of the enough local matching funds to do a small projecttrail.in Sheldon with 80% federal transportation funding. This project was completed in July 2019Whats next for the trail:and opened a new 1.5 mile section of the trailThe town of Hardwick has raised enough funds to connecting Sheldon village to the Missisquoi Valleyadopt the NBRC grant which had been planned for Rail Trail, along with repairing a large washoutPhase 1C and use it instead to deck two bridges and in Highgate. This work opened several newmake some other repairs to connect Hardwick to miles of the LVRT to snowmobiles and saves theEast Hardwick with a safe trail. We hope to have the snowmobile trail from going through several lowbridge decking work bid out in August. Hardwick farm fields. also plans to do a full bike-pedestrian project The Capital Campaign is continuing to raise fundsconnecting their historic rail depot in the village out with our focus on applying for grants. Privateto Route 15 near the yellow barn/Lamoille Valley donations keep coming in as well, which isFord (or perhaps a bit further to Wright Farm Rd.), encouraging that over time trail maintenance willthey are still working on raising the funds but we be supported. are moving ahead with the design phase of that project.The open sections of the trail are getting a lot of support from volunteers and the towns. TownThe Cambridge Area Rotary held their annual bike-highway crews are helping to mow the trail anda-thon this year to kick off fundraising for their keep it nice for summer use. Volunteers haveown section of trail. They are focused on pushing helped mow, cleared down trees, ensured supportthe completed surface further north to Fletcher. from their towns and more.The fundraiser was a success (about $9,000), but they still have a long way to go to do that without We had a Vermont Youth Conservation Corps crewoutside support.'