PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2011
CONTACT: Jamie Francomano, 760-2704, jfrancomano@presqueisleme.us

The 2011 Project of the Year award was given to the Sunrise Trail Coalition, a non-profit organization, which was the lead facilitator in the creation of the Down East Sunrise Trail.

When the rails and ties were removed in 2006 from an 85-mile stretch of the Calais ranch railroad corridor running through Hancock and Washington County, some observers saw it as threat to the economy. However this joint effort of the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Conservation, and several citizen organizations was in fact conceived and designed to preserve the corridor for future rail use. A wide gravel base is provided throughout and bridges have been improved for year round recreational use

Businesses have already benefited from the project, especially on weekends when the parking lots at the trail's access points are filled with vehicles, many with ATV trailers. "They are coming from all over the state," according to trail manager, Charlie Corliss who has arranged for overflow parking at Washington Junction. Description taken from "Rails to Trails: An economic engine" by Leslie Bowman, The Working Waterfront Nov. 2010.

MAP’s Project of the Year designation reflects the unprecedented overall length of the Rails to Trails conversion in this project, the extensive partnerships coordinated through the Coalition and the high degree of implementation. This project will also be forwarded for NNECAPA and APA award consideration.

For more information on the Down East Sunrise Trail contact Jim Fisher of Hancock Regional Planning Commission at 667-7131 of jfisher@hcpcme.org

Photo: MAP Award presented by Awards Committee Chair Jamie Francomano to Sally Jacobs and Jim Fisher, representing the Sunrise Trail Coalition.

The Maine Association of Planners (MAP), an organization of public, private, and nonprofit professional planners, citizen volunteers, and other professionals dedicated to the practice of planning in Maine, presented the following awards at its annual meeting at Bowdoin College in Brunswick on June 17, 2011.

MAP will now forward the award recipients to the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) for consideration in its regional award competition. These nominations are due August 1, 2011 and the winners will be announced at NNECAPA’s annual conference, to take place September 8-9 in Burlington, VT.