.Subcommittee - Trails
Cumberland’s Recreational Trails Subcommittee (RTS) of the Lands and Conservation Commission, along with the Town’s Public Works Department, manages the trail system in Town-owned properties. Cumberland’s trails have been developed to be enjoyable and safe for both residents and visitors. They are designed, constructed, and maintained for specific uses, and also to minimize the impact on the natural resources of the surrounding area while taking advantage of scenic, educational, and cultural opportunities.
The RTS monitors trail conditions and works to maintain the trails to standards adopted by the Town Council. These standards include guidelines for building bridges walkways, and “hardening” the trails with a sand gravel mix, where necessary. The goal is to keep the trails open for year-round use without damaging the trails or their surroundings.
The RTS works with private landowners to maintain and/or expand the network of trails connecting neighborhoods throughout the town. Where appropriate and with landowner permission, the RTS puts up trail markers on trails across private property. The RTS also encourages landowners to provide trail easements to the Town, ensuring that the trails remain open to the public in perpetuity.
The RTS reviews new subdivision proposals to ensure, where possible, that adequate trails are created within new developments (including sidewalks), that new trails connect with existing trails on surrounding properties, and that any existing trails currently crossing the proposed subdivision are retained or rerouted. RTS provides recommendations through the Lands and Conservation Commission to the Planning Board.
Click here to access Cumberland’s Trail Construction and Maintenance Standards.