Broken tree limbs and debris cover sections of the Rails-To-Trails from the October 29, 2011 snowstorm. (File photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Rail Trail is still closed due to damage from the late October storm, which will hamper plans for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the trail this season.
Parks and Recreation Commissioner Daniel Call said the trail is “officially closed” until further notice.
“The blacktop is cleared from Westfield to the state line, which is great, but we have a lot of debris on both sides of the trail,” said Call.
There are also numerous hanging branches along the entire trail.
“And there are trees that are cracked that need to be taken down,” Call said. “We can’t do that ourselves.”
An organized volunteer effort helped clear the blacktop over the last month. Call said they could use volunteers to clear the remainder of the debris as long as it was well-organized and done in conjunction with the Commission.
“The debris is piled in such a way that the easiest thing to do would be to get a truck and a chipper and have three or four people feeding it,” said Call.
The chips could be blown into the woods on the side of the trail. He said it could also be used in landscaping on the trail.
“We have some places with nice landscaping, so we could put some chips in the back of a truck and hold it in a staging area until spring and use it,” said Call.
Removing the debris along the sides of the trail is important.
“We need to clean the shoulders before the snow comes so that it does not hinder grass growth in the spring,” said Call. “We need that to help build up the shoulders.”
Call said the Commission will look into pricing for debris and tree removal.
