RUMFORD, Maine — Rumford has plenty of greenery, even in dreary March.
The densely wooded paper mill town, in an Oxford County region known as the River Valley, is surrounded by hills and slopes — most prominently Black Mountain, whose ski trails can be seen illuminated from miles away on evenings when the resort hosts night skiing.
Across Isthmus Road from Black Mountain, behind sparse homes, lies untouched wilderness. There, multiple local nonprofits earned federal and state grants to buy 446 acres of woods to make what they’re calling the Rumford Community Forest.
Inland Woods and Trails — based in nearby Bethel — will own the property. Gabe Perkins, the nonprofit's executive director, said they intend to cut 13 miles of trails into the land for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and backcountry skiing.
"You end up falling right in love with the place, because it has this blank canvas of opportunity," Perkins said.
What makes the deal sweeter for those involved, as Lynnette Batt from Trust for Public Land explained, is over a decade ago, a former owner had the green light from the state and town to build a massive housing development there — 257 lots according to Batt and Perkins. Instead, there are housing developments being built downtown and they said the woods will be there for people to enjoy forever.
"In balance with continued public access to private lands where the private landowner allows it is more public land and formalizing that access," Batt said. "So, what will be in the deed of this property is a requirement that the public can always access this land, and that the snowmobile trail always goes through it."
The nonprofit group is still fundraising about half a million dollars for trail projects and maintenance. They have been hosting community input meetings where residents share what they want to see in the forest. The last two meetings are scheduled for the third Wednesdays in April and May.
