In December, the Center acquired a key half acre of land along the Androscoggin River to help the town of Gorham advance its plans to create a Community Trail Hub. 

“We learned in the fall that requirements of a grant the town intended to use to buy the property were holding up the project, and the town was concerned it might lose its option to purchase the property,” said Mike Morin, VT/NH program director for the Center. “We were delighted to be able to buy the property and hold it until the town could complete its acquisition.” 

The half-acre lot sits at 420 Main St. in Gorham, NH, and backs up to the Androscoggin River adjacent to the trestle bridge that provides access across the river to multiple recreational opportunities.  

“The Town of Gorham is grateful for the relationship we have with the Northern Forest Center,” said Town Manager Peter Gagon.  “This productive partnership helped steer us toward collaborating on the acquisition of the 420 Main Street property, which is a keystone element in our Community Trail Hub project. Without this property being secured, our Community Trail Hub could not become a reality.” 

Now that the property is secured, the town can complete the due diligence required by its funder, the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), to obtain the grant funding needed to acquire the property from the Center and redevelop it. The town plans to create expanded parking and a community area for recreation on and across the Androscoggin River. 

“This sort of purchase-hold-and-transfer acquisition is somewhat common in large land conservation projects,” said Morin, “but it’s fairly unusual for a half-acre on Main Street.  We were able to use capital from our Northern Forest Fund to move quickly and make it happen.” 

The town has conditional approval from NBRC for $280,000 in grant funding to cover the cost of the acquisition and to create a new way for residents to access and enjoy the river. The idea for a Community Trail Hub came from the town’s participation in the EPA’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities planning process in 2020. That process provided planning assistance to rural communities across the United States to assist with identifying and leveraging existing community assets and investment opportunities to grow economic opportunities and revitalize Main Streets.   

After the Northern Border Regional Commission finalizes funding for the project, the Center will transfer ownership of the property to the town for long-term ownership and management, likely by mid to late 2025.