SMITHHFIELD — Another successful best management practices project was completed on the grounds of the Fairview Grange #342, 826 Village Road, thanks to grant money awarded to North Pond Association through Maine Community Foundation’s Western Mountains of Maine grant.
A porous-paver walkway is an all access walkway to meet the needs of the tri-town lake community by helping to fill the void of no public access on and off the lake to the Smithfield village area. Providing a safe, stable, smooth all access walkway using porous pavers has helped increase foot traffic entering and exiting the lake for townspeople, boaters and visitors to get to the general store, church and the historical society, as well as other shoreline properties.
Once the grant was awarded, the association worked closely with Code Enforcement Officer Andy Marble, LakeSmart and non-point source pollution control Maine DEP certified landscaper John Lynch of Lynch Landscaping in Norridgewock. The walkway transitions to the existing infiltration steps on the embankment to the lake, which is another management practice. The porous pavers allow water to sink into the ground rather than run off as it woujld on a bare-ground, paved or concrete walkway. Signage explaining the many BMPs on the grange grounds meets the NPA’s goal of educating the public about the need for such practices directly on shore front property to help prevent algae blooms while promoting healthy lake living and improved water quality.
This project is benefitting everyone who steps foot on the grange grounds, whether by boat or car. The walkway provides a smooth transition for those using walkers, wheelchairs or strollers to picnic tables on the waterfront in a natural environment. Everyone is welcome to attend a variety of Fairview Grange #342 and North Pond Association events like the NPA’s “Are You Buff Enough?” and “How to Become LakeSmart-er” workshops to be held Saturday, July 11, at 9 a.m.; the public is also invited to attend the group’s annual meeting Saturday, July 25. The grange hosts craft fairs, live music and guest speakers, is a rentable venue and a rich part of Smithfield’s heritage. For more information, campkarie@gmail.com. The NPA invites lake associations to plan a visit to explore their BMPs by contacting them at northpondmaine@gmail.com.
