Public Meeting 2/27/23 at 7:00 PM at Warner Town Hall

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The Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail were awarded $1.2 million as part of the Federal Appropriations bill that passed Congress at the end of December 2022. The money is to go toward a project involving 2 new bridges and getting from one side of I-89 to the other near Exit 9 in Warner. Thanks are owed to Representative Annie Kuster who put the request into the federal budget.

This project is significant because it aims to create a safe and beautiful way to get from the west side of the interstate to the east side where there are lots of businesses near the roundabout and lots more businesses and destinations in the village of Warner. This project will provide a way to be off of Route 103 using sections of trail and low speed, low traffic side roads to reach the village.

A couple of key points:

  • Despite having a concept plan and most of the funding in place, the project has not yet begun. Its almost at step 1. Come learn about the process and the key moments we need you to show up if this project is going to keep progressing.
  • The matching funds, all $300,000 are being raised by donation, not by taxation.
  • For pictures of the project click here.

Town of Hopkinton Awarded Trail Grant

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A very approximate view of how the trail will go from the Kiosk to Kearsarge Ave.

Persistence pays off! Both the Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail and the Town of Hopkinton had applied to the NH Bureau of Trails for Recreational Trails Program funding for this project in previous years. In 2022 the Town applied again and this time received the grant. The partnership calls for the town to be supplying the in-kind labor and materials for this project while the Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail is providing the cash match of approximately $4,500.

This project will create a safe traffic separated connection from Houston Fields to the new sidewalks along Kearsarge Ave so students at the middle and high school have an easier more direct way to reach the library and playing fields. It also creates a walking loop using Pine St, Kearsarge Ave, and Houston Fields.

Construction is anticipated to be in the second half of 2023.

NH CDFA Tax Credits

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December 31, 2022 Update: Our full allocation of Tax Credits has been purchased! Thank you to all the NH businesses that supported us.

The Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail is fortunate to have been selected by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority for a Tax Credit award of $200,000 to help construct a 1.25 mile section of trail in Concord.

The portion in orange above is supported by Tax credits.

These tax credits can be used by businesses to pay the New Hampshire Business Profits Tax, The New Hampshire Business Enterprise Tax or the New Hampshire Insurance Premiums Tax. If your business pays any of these taxes to the state of New Hampshire please contact Tim Blagden (tsblagden@clsrt.org) or George Hunton (ghunton@nhcdfa.org or 603-717-9116) at New Hampshire Community Finance Development Authority.

NH CDFA Tax Credits are a way to have more community impact with the very limited funds a business has to invest back into the community. A lot more impact. This is not just another way to make a donation to a worthy cause. They multiply the impact of your dollars and provide you with additional flexibility. They are simple to use. But they are for businesses only. Over 600 unique businesses have used NH CDFA Tax credits since 2016. Many come back again and again once they discover the impact they have.

Our project in Concord will complete the longest single section of trail we’ve built to date. Its a great section of trail taking users from Fisherville Rd (Rt 3 in Concord) to the RiverHill section of the city by the Contoocook River. Riverhill Market, Contoocook Kayak & Canoe, Murray Farms Greenhouse, Friends of Forgotten Children, the River Hill Grange and more are all near the west end of this project.

These businesses have already decided to help us with NH CDFA Tax Credits. We hope you will join them.

Contribute a railroad wheelset bench

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Custom bench with a view of Lake Todd in Bradford, NH.
Custom benches at our trailhead in Concord, NH awaiting final placement along the trail.

These railroad wheelset benches provide a very long lasting, comfortable, and striking way to show your appreciation to a loved one or to promote your business. We will work with you to find the optimal trailside location for your bench. A custom plaque will be attached.

Custom Bench cost: $1,995. Contact us at info@clsrt.org with any questions.

June Volunteer Opportunities

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We are looking for volunteers to help greet people during Market Days in Concord June 23rd, 24th and 25th. This is a really fun time. Everyone loves the rail trail and wants to know where it is and what’s happening. We will give you all the answers. Click below to pick a time that works for you.

Volunteer for Market Days

Looking ahead to July we have the Flat & Furious 5K Concord event on the 21st from 4:30 to 7:00. If you can help us with that please click below.

Volunteer for the Flat & Furious 5K Concord

Thanks to everyone who supported us during NH Gives. You helped us raise over $4,000 dollars for the trail!

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Support CLSRT TODAY through NH Gives – June 7th & 8th, 2022

Donate to CLSRT at NH Gives

An anonymous donor has offered to match up to four individual donations of $1,000 to Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail. The donor will provide $1000 match up for the first four $1000 donations made to CLSRT during NH Gives, up to $4000 total match.

NH Gives is 24 hours of focused giving sponsored by the NH Charitable Foundation. Donate to Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail through the NH Gives program between 5pm Tuesday, June 7th and 5pm Wednesday, June 8th, and your donation can go further with match prizes. Bonus matches are available if you are the first to donate at 5:00 PM on the 7th, at 6:03 AM on the 8th, and at 4:59 PM on the 8th.

Donate today so we can finish phase 2 of Concord this summer.

Donate to CLSRT through NH Gives site HERE

To optimize your donations to CLSRT, donate during matching times starting at 5pm Tuesday, June 8th. You can get all the details for the hourly matching rules and other prizes for NH non-profits at https://www.nhgives.org/prizes

The first 4 donations of $1,000 to CLSRT will be guaranteed a $1000 matching donation. A generous donor will do this up to 4 times during NH Gives. Please help us capture those potential funds.

See details and donate on the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail page at NH Gives.

Looking to donate a car?

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Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail has partnered with Car Easy to make it simple to donate your old vehicle to help the rail trail.

CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) is a nationally recognized social enterprise nonprofit that helps thousands of nonprofits in the US and Canada increase their fundraising and acquire new contributors through turn-key vehicle donation programs. Since 2003, CARS has returned more than $300 million to our partners.

• Vehicle Donation Web Page:  https://careasy.org/nonprofit/friendsoftheconcordlakesunapeerailtrail

• Vehicle Donation Toll-Free Number: 855-500-7433 | 855-500-RIDE

Thank you for supporting CLSRT through NH Gives June 8th and 9th, 2021

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Over 40 donations came in to Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail through the NH Gives program between 5pm Tuesday, June 8th and 5pm Wednesday, June 9th. Well timed donations generated an additional $1,670 in matching funds! Thanks for all your help!

Donate to CLSRT through NH Gives site HERE

To optimize your donations to CLSRT, donate up to $250 at the top of each hour starting at 5pm Tuesday, June 8th. You can get all the details for the hourly matching rules and other prizes for NH non-profits at https://www.nhgives.org/prizes

We raised over $5,000 towards the $14,000 we need to extend the finished surface of the Concord portion of the trail from Fisherville Road to beyond the driveway at the Barn at Bull Meadow.

View looking west from the entry point at Tire Warehouse.

CLSRT Trail Maps

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Stevens Rail Trail – Warner Exit 7 Davisville to Hopkinton

In Warner, park to the right of the trail gate alongside Old Warner Road in Davisville. In Hopkinton, park to the right of the Hopkinton library by the kiosk and walk/ride along the back access road to the intersection of Spring Street and Krzyzaniak Lane. Cross the road here and you will see orange trail gate.

  • new surface ready for action
  • mile post on the Stevens trail in Hopkinton
  • Nordic skiing in Hopkinton

Bradford – Tilly Wheeler Trail and Lower Lake Todd

  • Bike fix station
  • Stop and enjoy the view

Warner story walk – Depot Street to Joppa Covered Bridge

  • enjoy the story walk year round
  • Matt Esenwine's Flashlight Night story walk
    Local author Matt Esenwine reads his book “Flashlight Night” at the story walk opening in October 2018.
  • Bike fix station and refreshments at Schoodacs on Main Street

Warner Rail Trail at Bagley Field in Warner, NH

  • Snowshoe tracks at Bagley Field
    Snowshoeing at Bagley

Concord, NH Fisherville Road to Carter Hill Road

The parking area at 25 Fisherville Rd is now open. You will find parking for 7 vehicles, a bicycle fix station with pump, and a kiosk with trail information. Three quarters of a mile of trail starting at the parking area has been completed with a fine stone dust surface. That is shown above in the green and yellow sections. The remaining 1.75 miles can be biked or walked on the existing surface.

In December of 2021 we put down a base layer to reach gate by Bog Rd. This is the section in red above. We anticipate putting the final surface on that section in late spring/early summer of 2022. Your donations will help this happen sooner.

The final section shown in orange we are also raising funds to complete. The NH Community Development Finance Authority has granted us Tax Credits to fund $200,000 of this project. You can help by asking businesses to support the trail by paying their tax bill with tax credits. (Link for businesses to make a pledge.) Click here to see a video we produced talking about tax credits.

Please DONATE to help us build more trail