by Dan Boughton
Nestled between Portland, Marlborough, East Hampton, Hebron and Glastonbury is where the Meshomasic State Forest is located. These woodlands, which consist of two separate tracts bisected by Rt 2, exceed 9,000 acres. There is some pretty cool history worth noting about these woods. In 1903 the state of Connecticut purchased 627 acres of land from the town of Portland for $964.16 with the objective of “demonstrating how to grow timber and control forest fires”. It then evolved into the first of 32 state forests established in Connecticut and the very first established in all of New England. So, kudos to the foresight and ingenuity of the conservationists during that era. The forest also contains an abandoned Nike missile site. This was built to defend the United States against Russian bombers during the cold war. Remnants are still visible if you know where to look. Various forms of mining including mica, cobalt and ore were attempted with some success over the years. Meshomasic is a Native American name for “place of snakes”. This is apt as the timber rattlesnake, an endangered species in Connecticut, does reside here.
But this local gem does need some help. The Shenipsit trail, a 50-mile-long blue blazed hiking path, originates in Stafford by the Massachusetts border and travels south ending in Cobalt. As it winds through the Meshomasic forest it gives a good feel as to what our local woodlands have to offer all of us.
However, what doesn’t feel so good is the excessive degradation of the Shenipsit trail caused by motor bikes and all-terrain vehicles (atvs). Even beyond the Shenipsit trail, many unauthorized pathways have been created and abused by atvs. Check out ct.gov and with a quick look you will see that with the exception of limited tracts in Pachaug State Forest and Thomaston Dam, that use of any CT blue blazed trails is limited to hiking except where they overlap a multi-use trail. I am not just stating this about the motorized abuse of the trails, but this holds true for any mountain biking activities as well. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) states in their most recent forest management plan for Meshomasic State Forest, “the pressure from nonpassive, illegal recreational users continue to have detrimental impact on the soils which act as the foundation of the forest” as an extensive area of concern. Just as troubling they go on to state that “To date the DEEP has not been successful in controlling the illegal trail use”.
Perhaps this has caught your attention or perhaps it hasn’t. So, what can be done about this; what is the next step? I think that a higher level of awareness is needed. See the damage for yourself. Plug in Woodchopper Rd. in Portland on your gps. Approach Woodchopper Rd. from Clark Hill Rd. in East Hampton. This is a well-maintained dirt road through the forest. Within a half a mile you will see the blue blazes that marks the Shenipsit trail. Parking is available nearby where you see the blue blazes. Hike northbound on the trail and within 1 – 1.5 miles you will start to see the damage on the trail. The damage is significant and covers quite a distance on the trail. If motivated at this time take some pictures on your phone. Contact your local state representatives and make your concerns known along with the pics. Reach out to DEEP and do the same thing.
I have pointed a finger directly at the folks who use atvs. However, I have seen no signage stating that these activities are prohibited. Nothing telling you as a hiker what your options are about reporting such activity. With DEEP unable to maintain their own policies, it could be that some folks are just unaware of the regulations.
Can we pull together a coalition of avid hikers, mountain bikers and atv enthusiasts to address this problem? I feel impassioned by this cause and am willing to play a lead role in getting it up and running. We also need to include DEEP and locally elected officials to formulate a community wide response. I see this problem as an opportunity for all outdoor enthusiasts to join together and do some good for a local treasure. If you share my enthusiasm, please contact Dan Boughton at info@talk-action.org and I will follow up.
TALK Environment Team seeks to promote conversations about the environment and climate change in our community. If you have a related topic which you are passionate about, please send your ideas and suggestions for future articles to: prez@talk-action.org. All articles are archived on the Talk website http://talk-action.org