
Dear Friend of the Eastern Trail:
As the new board president of the Eastern Trail Alliance, I am proud to support the Eastern Trail because of the transformative impact it has on my life. The Eastern Trail provides me a spectacular car-free and stress-free commute option to the office. On days that I do drive to work, the Eastern Trail provides a much-needed reprieve from screens during my lunch break.
When not working, walking on the Eastern Trail provides my family the space to connect with each other, our surroundings, and our community.
As a trail user first, I know the incredible impact the Eastern Trail has on individuals, businesses, and communities across southern Maine. Your previous support made the following achievements possible in 2024:
- 3 active trail expansion projects including persistent efforts to close the gap between South Portland and Scarborough; engineering design on 0.7 miles of new trail in West Kennebunk and 2.0 miles in Wells and North Berwick, and an ongoing initial feasibility study from North Berwick to Kittery.
- 850 Maine Lighthouse Ride participants, representing 33 states and spanning the ages from 10 to 87, sold-out this event and raised significant resources for the Eastern Trail Alliance to invest into the trail.
- 20 miles of off-road trail maintained and preserved including routine monitoring and maintenance, and in response to increasingly extreme and unseasonable winter weather.
We need your support to continue this critical work, and your investment to ensure we do not lose access to federal funding for trail design and construction in Kennebunk, Wells, and North Berwick that requires local matching funds. Every dollar goes toward our mission to maintain, build, and promote the Eastern Trail. Will you be one of the trail users and supporters we need to chip in to meet our goals?
In 2025, the Eastern Trail Alliance will continue to ensure that you have a safe and accessible place to walk, cycle, and run in southern Maine. Please join us in making that possible by making a year-end contribution today. Your support is critical to our ongoing work.
Doug Smith
Board President
Eastern Trail Alliance