Board approves yellow blaze for Ashley main loop, plans mapping and student engagement

The Ashley Community Forest Board voted July 17 to mark the forest’s main loop with yellow paint to improve wayfinding and reduce confusion from multiple recently created side trails. Board member Erik Skarsten proposed one consistent marking approach after discussing alternatives such as rigid plastic markers nailed to trees; the board concurred with the single-color yellow blaze for the main loop.

Board members also discussed several new trails created during a recent logging operation, including a logging trail on the Sharon side that could be connected to the Sharon spur. Members agreed to postpone on-the-ground rerouting and connector work until logger Bob Wilson finishes closeout and cleanup to avoid confusing users with temporary logging tracks. "We should wait until the cleanup is done before investing in new layout work," a board member said during the discussion.

Michael Sacca reported he has spoken with contractor Sam Brakely about marking a mapped 'brown' trail on the Strafford side and redirecting a steep section of the loop to reduce grade; Sacca will request an estimate from Sam for trail layout. David Paganelli reminded members to respect Reserve-area boundaries if rerouting requires encroaching into those zones. The board also discussed a proposal from Stephanie Gergeley-Davis, a new sixth-grade teacher at Sharon Elementary, to bring students to Ashley for supervised trail work, and noted similar interest on the Strafford side.