Keystone Trail Connectivity Project

Project Concepts

Community Planning: The project concept is supported by numerous planning documents, by recent community engagement results, and by collaboration with Town partners.

Economic and Community Need: The project concept is being advanced at an opportune time when Town staff and residents are seeking to revise the economic development strategy to grow outdoor recreation-related businesses and better tap into Vermont’s outdoor-related tourism economy.

Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship: A key objective of this project is to include robust actions to establish high-quality habitat corridors to reconnect fragmented habitat blocks. If successful, this approach may be expanded throughout Essex.

Innovation and Creativity: This project seeks to combine standard designs and best management practices in a novel way to achieve not just a convenient and attractive trailnetwork, but to make convenient and meaningful community connections to important destinations. This will allow the recreational trail network to also serve the dailytransportation needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.

Inclusivity and Increased Participation: The Town is pursuing multiple ways to maximize usage of this proposed trail network. Essex has connected with key community groups and organizations such as the Town’s Conservation and Trails Committee, FOTW, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sport, Outdoor Gear Exchange, and the Essex Westford School District. Essex is pursuing trail designs that are accessible to individuals with a wide range of abilities by being gentle in slope, adequate in width, and durable in surface.