Forest to restore access to Moosalamoo area Trail System
Contact: Holly Knox 802-767-4261 ext. 530
ROCHESTER, VT (November 4, 2009)-- The Green Mountain National Forest will be relocating portions of the Leicester Hollow Trail, located in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, out of the floodplain to restore pedestrian and mountain bike access to the trail. The agency is also designating snowmobile use on the nearby Ridge Trail and conducting watershed restoration activities to Leicester Hollow Brook. Both trails are in the towns of Brandon and Leicester.
“The Leicester Hollow Trail is severely washed out and repair in its current location is not sustainable against future flood events,” said District Ranger Greg Smith, “Relocating the trail out of the flood plain is the most sustainable option for long-term management.”
An August 2008 flood event resulted in limited public access to the Leicester Hollow trails, an area that is popular among local residents and visitors to Vermont. Repairs to the trail involve reconstructing the trail tread out of the floodplain to improve the ecological integrity of the watershed and to establish a more sustainable trail that requires less long-term maintenance costs.
The decision also designates snowmobile use on the Ridge Trail, restoring connectivity to a portion of the state-wide snowmobile trail system (VAST Corridor 7A) that has been cut off and inoperable since 2008. This project will improve watershed health, enhance the effective use of partnerships and reduce public health and safety risks.