In its eighth round in the fall of 2019, the Q2C Trail Grants program awarded 8 grants to projects totaling $48,144.85.  Grants were awarded to projects including maintenance, bridge construction, and trail guides, both in print and online.  The projects awarded grants in round eight were:

Project: Website and Online Mapping Enhancements for New England National                          Scenic Trail and the NH Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
Sponsor: Appalachian Mountain Club
Award:  $8,000.00

The websites and online maps for these trails are unable to keep up with user demand and do not have the functionality that most users expect. This project would redesign the website to create a more streamlined layout and map, and a new page for long-distance hiking, which will increase use and enjoyment of the trail for both local communities and visitors. Community Center for GIS, participation from volunteers and long-distance hikers, and the AMC’s New England Trail Assistant will provide accurate information for the update. And both AMC and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association will keep the website updated with accurate maps, events calendars, facility reservations, etc.
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In its thirteenth round of grant-making in the fall of 2019, the Q2C Land Conservation Grants Program awarded grants totaling $39,850 to five projects that will conserve a total of approximately 1,615 acres of land. 95 percent of the acres protected are located within areas identified as conservation priorities in the Q2C land conservation plan – falling within either “conservation focus areas” ranked as the most ecologically critical lands in the region, or “supporting landscapes” that buffer and connect the core focus areas. The total value of the projects funded in 2019 (land and easement value plus transaction and other costs) is conservatively estimated at nearly $1.4 million.  The projects are briefly summarized below.

The two-state Quabbin-to-Cardigan region spans one hundred miles from the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts northward along the western spine of New Hampshire to the boundary of the White Mountain National Forest. Encompassing approximately two million acres, the region is one of the largest remaining areas of intact forest in central New England and is a key headwater of both the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers.

The Q2C conservation grants are guided by a strategic plan that prioritizes the region’s most ecologically significant forests and key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation. All projects are on a strictly voluntary, willing-seller/donor basis. 90% percent of the acres protected in the latest grant round are located within areas identified as conservation priorities in the Q2C land conservation plan – falling within either “conservation focus areas” ranked as the most ecologically critical lands in the region or a “Connectivity Corridor” that connects the core focus areas. The funded projects are:
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