PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 10, 2025
Maine voters approved a $30 million bond in 2024 to fund the state’s new trails program, which has drawn more interest than funding can cover. There are 105 applications seeking over twice the amount available in the first round of grants. Doug Beck, the Recreational Trail Program director at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, said the requests total $16.7 million for projects in all 16 counties, while only $7.5 million will be awarded this year. It’s the first of four annual grant cycles.