Great news, everyone: Earlier this afternoon, LD 29, the Merrymeeting Trail bill, passed the Maine House of Representatives by a vote of 116-26! This follows its passage in the Senate in early May. The bill has a couple more procedural votes tomorrow, after which we expect it to be sent to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

This is one more step on a long journey — but it’s a mighty big step. Let’s take a moment to celebrate and thank everyone who helped us get this far! That includes the town and state officials who have supported the trail at every turn, the community members who have sent emails and spoken in support of the trail at public forums, the MaineDOT staffers who have listened to and heard our communities, and the volunteers who have organized our efforts. We would not be here without any of you.

What’s next? Plenty more work, to be sure. Community engagement, robust fundraising, and lots of partnerships will be necessary to bring this dream to life.

There will be time for all of this, and we’ll get to it soon. For now, we’re grateful that the Merrymeeting Trail is closer to reality than it was yesterday…and indeed than it has ever been. Thank you! And: Onward!