STOCKHOLM, Maine — Stockholm residents are seeing great strides made in the creation of a boat landing and new trails with “only a bit of paving and signage installation still to be done,” according to project manager Dave Peterson.
The project can be traced back to 2009, when Stockholm adopted a comprehensive plan dedicated to highlighting and identifying recreational resources in an effort to spur economic growth in town. Since then, local officials have specifically targeted the Madawaska Stream, which flows under a newly repaired bridge on Main Street, and also focused on the town’s status as a hub for ATV and snowmobile enthusiasts.
The newly built Stockholm boat landing will give residents and tourists alike much easier access to the river for fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities.
(Chris Bouchard)
The planning board decided in 2016 to create a boat launch and to expand area trails in order to emphasize these points. Numerous residents of Stockholm and surrounding communities since have come together to help make them come to fruition.
Stockholm residents Suzy Anderson and Judy Bleiler donated ten acres of land which helped the town obtain a $73,800 grant last year from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry to develop the boat landing next to the Madawaska stream. Local voters agreed to pony up $10,000 toward matching funds for the grant.
Civil engineers B.R. Smith Associates of Presque Isle donated some of their labor costs, and S.W. Collins and Soderberg Construction of Caribou donated money to help with the grant match requirement. Soderberg Construction also was the primary contractor for the boat landing and trail project.
In less than month, several hundred feet of woods were cleared out and transformed into a drivable trail that leads to the boat landing. The path is next to the bridge on Main Street, and first leads to a lot for ATVs and snowmobiles (next to some marked trees which later will be turned into an ATV trail), then to a second lot where guests have room to back their boats to the landing, unhook, and then park.
Stockholm boat landing and trails project manager Dave Peterson, right, points out to the river and explains that the state requires boat landings to be built a very particular pitch to help boaters access the river. He and Stockholm Planning Board member Dave Strainge, left, have been involved with the project for several years.
(Chris Bouchard)
“Soderberg did a really good job for us,” said Peterson on Sept. 26. “We were anxious about starting in September, but once they got here they did it in about two weeks.”
Dave Strainge of the Stockholm Planning Board said the boat parking lot is big enough for guests to park their car with a trailer hooked up.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry visited the site last week and “blessed it,” according to Peterson, though they recommended a few minor adjustments to the planks which were quickly done.
Peterson and Strainge were thrilled about the project’s quick progress, and look forward to finishing up the landing and getting started on the creation of a short ATV trail connecting the first lot to a ball field, which leads to more trails and prevents ATVers from having to travel along the roadway.
“We’re going to have about $40,000 to put into our trail development next year,” said Peterson. “These guys [the Planning Board] will spend a good part of the winter designing the trail system and I’ll be spending my time going out for grants and finding funding for the rest.”
Strainge said the board is working with engineers to get a cost estimate for the future trail project, which Peterson said is part of the town’s “bigger vision.”
Yellow markers hang off trees bordering a dirt lot in Stockholm that will become a parking area for ATVs and snowmobiles. The markers indicate where a trail will be built next year.
(Chris Bouchard)
“The best by-product of all this is everyone’s attitude and ‘can-do’ spirit,” said Peterson. “People are now showing up to meetings and asking about what they can do and, we can’t claim credit for this, but we’re seeing an in-migration of families and kids now too.”
These improvements have been Peterson’s dream, and he said he’s seen more people attending meetings who are “champing at the bit” to get started on “the next phase.”
“I’ve lived here all my life,” said Strainge, “and I’ve fought through the ups and downs, but this community has embraced the idea that we don’t have to just sit and whither away. We can do things to improve this town and help keep it alive.”
After the $101,800 construction project, the town still has $40,600 worth of local funding available for next year’s trail project. Because of this, many residents are excited about what Stockholm’s future holds.
“People are feeling good,” said Peterson. “I’m not saying they weren’t feeling good before, but they’re definitely feeling better.”
