Public hearing on hiking trail

AUGUSTA — Lawmakers will hold a hearing Tuesday, March 28, on a measure seeking to establish priorities for Public Reserved Lands to provide better access for outdoor enthusiasts.

Eliza Donoghue, policy advocate and outreach coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said they are particularly excited about the proposal because it will place a greater emphasis on outdoor recreation — a measure she says is underutilized in public forests across the state.
“You know, we’ve got an incredible resource in our Public Reserved Lands, but they are sometimes hard to get to, hard to find a trailhead,” Donoghue said. “And this bill would say, ‘Hey let’s identify what our biggest recreation infrastructure needs are.’ ”

The act calls for establishing priorities for trails, signs, bridges and other infrastructure to bolster recreation opportunities, among other initiatives.

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