Hikers using the East Windham Conservation Area and Lowell Preserve in Windham should be on the outlook for three new trails this summer.
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| A map shows the East Windham Conservation Area and Lowell Preserve in Windham. The properties are co-managed by the Town of Windham and Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and are adding three new trails to the sites there this summer. COURTESY PHOTO |
Brooks said that Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and the Town of Windham have jointly managed Lowell Preserve since 2012 and East Windham Conservation Area since it opened in 2023.
“You will notice some changes the next time you’re out and about at EWCA/Lowell as we continue expanding access and diversifying use of our trail network as three new trails are coming online this year,” Brooks said.
According to Brooks, “Odyssey” is a two-way multi-use technical trail in Lowell Preserve that also has a handful of optional one-way mountain bike features built in. This new trail was opened to the public in May.
Another new trail in Lowell Preserve called ““Stove Up” and “Hung Down” is a one-way mountain bike-only loop with a designated uphill climb and a fast and feature-filled downhill. That trail opened for public use in June.
“The creation of Odyssey, Stove Up, and Hung Down would not have been possible without the financial and volunteer support of members from the Greater Portland chapter of the New England Mountain Biking Association,” Brooks said. “Lowell is a great spot for us to work together with GPNEMBA to expand mountain bike-only and mixed-use technical trails, especially in this part of the preserve. The land has dramatic topography and was already disturbed from a history of logging, and it provides easy access to and from the trailhead.”
The Universal Access Trail, a fully compliant mile of compacted stone dust trail at the East Windham Conservation Area should be completed later this year, Brooks said.
Once it is finished and opened to the public, the new trail will stretch from the parking area at the East Windham Conservation Area to the overlook of the White Mountains.
The Town of Windham and the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust have been working to assess how community members use the space, as well as how it can create longer and wider undisturbed sections for wildlife.
“Continuing in that assessment, we have just had the first meeting of the East Windham Steering Committee, which the Windham Town Council established in January,” Brooks said. “PRLT's Executive Director Will Sedlack and I are providing staff support to the 11-member committee, which is composed of representatives from town committees, recreational groups, nearby residential associations and the general public.”
She says that the East Windham Steering Committee has been tasked with two major goals including seeking public input and recommending a new name that unifies the shared character and use of the two sites and to develop a Request for Proposal and choose a firm to assist in the establishment of a Master Plan to guide the town and the land trust in the development and management of this property for the years to come.
“The committee will assist the chosen firm in the development of the Master Plan and ultimately present it to the Windham Town Council for adoption,” Brooks said.
Prior to its opening in December 2023, about 10 miles of new multi-use trails were built at the site by the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and the land also includes a 150-acre Deer Wintering Area, a traditional site for hunting by permission, and the 580-foot Atherton Hill, the tallest spot in Windham.
The East Windham Conservation Area directly abuts more than 1,000 acres of other conserved land in Windham and Falmouth, including Lowell Preserve, North Falmouth Community Forest, and Blackstrap Hill Preserve, providing 20 miles of interconnected trails and five trailheads for public access. It is part of the largest wildlife habitat and trail access corridor in the Greater Portland area, providing 2,000 acres of conserved land and a 30-mile trail network connecting Lowell Preserve, North Falmouth Community Forest, and Blackstrap Hill Preserve.
Funding to create the East Windham Conservation Area was about $3.7 million and included a $1 million grant from the Land for Maine’s Future initiative. In 2021, voters from Windham approved a $1.8 million conservation bond using open space impact fees and another $400,000 raised privately from public donations. A Land and Water Conservation Fund federal grant for $500,000 was obtained to pay for the infrastructure improvements at the site.
Windham’s Open Space Plan identifies developing and maintaining open space partnerships and relationships as key mechanisms to grow conservation efforts in the town. When the Windham Town Council formally adopted the Open Space Plan, Windham reached out to the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust in 2021 to be an open space partner by holding a conservation easement and sharing responsibility for the trail management on the adjacent 308-acre Lowell Preserve.
The new Universal Access Trail at the East Windham Conservation Area will be able to be navigated by those with limited mobility and will lead to the scenic overlook and pond views. Another phase of the project there is planned for future years and will include an observation tower.
For future updates about the work of the East Windham Steering Committee, visit windhammaine.us/880/East-Windham-Steering-Committee. <
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