Pemi Path Project gains momentum

BRISTOL — Decades of discussion about creating a multi-use path along the Pemigewasset River culminated in the creation Bristol Falls Park and completion of the Bristol portion of the trail known as the Pemi Pathway in 2017. The larger goal of extending the trail to the town line at Profile Falls stalled, but now the town has approved a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will allow work to resume.

Much of the land between Profile Falls and Bristol Falls Park, located around an abandoned downtown railroad depot, lies within the Franklin Flood Control area which is under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps. In order to extend the trail, the town needs to obtain a lease for that section, which mostly runs along the old railroad bed.

The town has been working to satisfy the federal agency’s concerns about steep slopes and stream crossings, and some of the delay was due to early paperwork being lost.

Bill Dowey, chair of the town’s economic development committee and the prime mover on the project, told the selectboard on March 2 that the Pemi Pathway Committee has reached an agreement with the Army Corps on the outline for a formal memorandum that specifies what areas must be addressed. Having an agreement in hand will allow the town to seek grants to help cover the estimated $2 million cost of the project.

The projected cost is based on an Eastern Fertile Lands Access Program application the town completed but did not submit last year.

Noting that Laconia’s recreational trail is credited with adding more than $1 million to that city’s economy, Dowey said it makes business sense for Bristol’s trail project to proceed. He also noted that virtually 100% of Bristol residents responding to a community survey “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that completion of the Pemi Pathway is desirable.

Dowey said he had a virtual meeting with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen concerning congressionally directed spending for community projects. Last year, Shaheen was able to direct $110 million to New Hampshire, with $7.8 million going to Grafton County. She anticipates sending $100 million to the state this year.

Entities seeking that federal funding had to submit a nine-page form by March 10. If the project is selected, the town would have to submit a more detailed description of what the grant would accomplish.

The committee provided an outline of what was required for the submission.

Dowey noted that the group recently walked the area where the trail would be built and photographed an abandoned barrel suspected of containing toxic polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAS, substances that would have to be removed.

“It’s just sitting there; it’s bizarre,” Dowey said. “Now that it’s there, and everybody knows it’s there, we have to treat it. It looks empty [but] we don’t know that it’s empty.”

The town will work with the state Department of Environmental Services, and Dowey said they may be able to obtain money from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The proposed memorandum requires the town to do an environmental assessment before obtaining the necessary lease on the property. There is a possibility that the study would show exposure from other properties along the corridor, which would require working with those parties to address the problems.

Because the trail would run along an existing rail bed, the town does not expect much of a problem, but it also will have to meet the provisions of the Shoreland Protection Act.

There are other potential sources of revenue for the trail project, and the Alexandria Ledge Climbers Snowmobile Club previously pledged $600,000 toward development of the trail, which could be used for any matching grant requirements.

The selectboard authorized the Pemi Path Committee to pursue the funding. The Army Corps must approve the final language of the memorandum, then the MOU will return to the town for signatures. Even with that in place, Dowey warned, there is a lot of work to do before the trail is complete.