Senate Finance hears $600,000 matching request for Concord‑Lake Sunapee rail trail; Warner residents cite environmental, cost concerns

Senate Bill 35, which would appropriate $600,000 in general funds to the Department of Transportation to serve as a match for congestion mitigation and air quality (CMAQ) grant funds for a section of the Concord‑Lake Sunapee rail trail, was introduced and heard before the Senate Finance Committee.

Dan Innes, representing District 7 of Bradford and the bill sponsor at the hearing, said the $600,000 would serve as matching funds to a similar CMAQ award to build a trail section between Warner and Kunta Cook. "This bill specifically requests 600,000 in general funds which will serve as a match to congestion mitigation and air quality grant funds of a similar amount," Innes said, noting that the trail is almost entirely in his and a neighboring senator’s districts.

The public hearing drew sharp local disagreement. Several Warner residents opposed the appropriation, saying construction and permanent public access would degrade habitats along the Warner River. "I am opposed to the rail trail, basically every inch of the way," said a longtime Warner resident who testified about riverine riparian habitat and turtle populations he said are at risk. He argued that increased foot and bicycle traffic would raise poaching, nest disturbance and long‑term decline of sensitive species.

Another Warner resident told the committee the project would "cut the town in half," increase costs for town services and emergency response, and said Warner has "no traffic congestion or issues with air quality to mitigate," disputing the project’s alignment with CMAQ objectives.

The trail’s proponents, including Tim Blaggen, board chair for the Concord‑Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, said the project would connect sections of existing trail and help reunite parts of the town at a human scale. Blaggen described other rail trails in the state as examples of popular, locally used facilities and said portions of the proposed one are in the interstate median and on preexisting graded rail bed. He said a prior attempt to fund the project through leftover ARPA funds was blocked when federal rules prevented using ARPA as a match to federal grant funds: "we learned that the ARPA funds could not be used for this particular project," Innes explained when describing last year’s effort.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about corridor conditions and prior approvals; Innes said the fiscal committee and the governor’s executive council had previously approved the funding plan but implementation stalled over the ARPA‑match issue. The hearing record showed 3 in‑person supporters and 17 in‑person opponents had signed up; senators closed the public hearing and did not vote on the bill during the session.

The committee did not take formal action at the hearing; senators signaled they would continue consideration at a later date and may discuss funding options during the budget process.