AUBURN — The Lake Auburn Watershed Neighborhood Association was recently awarded $13,500 from the Maine Division of Parks and Public Lands Recreational Trail Grant Program.

The funds will be used to create a firm, semi-permeable trail for multiple use. The trail will be 12 feet wide tapered to a six foot wide section in the rear of the property, which will allow the public to access existing historic trails intersecting the property for year round use.

Conservation and educational signage will be placed along the trail to promote an understanding of different types of trail and land uses and how the promote recreational access and the impacts to the environment in a critical watershed.

The trail, called the “Conservation Trail,” will encourage all walks of life to take the walk as we integrate recreational agendas for the benefit of the community.

Work is officially underway; beginning with the removal of 380 feet of brush and small trees along the trail northern rock wall edge but maintaining tree and brush along the southern side of the wall for bird habitat and wind barrier for the tree nursery.

The final surface of the 12-foot section will be bark mulch and, on the 6-foot section, grass will be maintained to provide a firm but environmentally sound trail.

The Lake Auburn Community Center is at 115 North Auburn Road and is open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. It provides miles of nature trails picnic area, beach volleyball area which also serves as an ice skating rink during winter months; horseshoe pits, tetherball and disc golf.

For more information, visit www.lakeauburn.org and  www.facebook.com/2012LACC.

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