Thank you for shaping the future of Ashby's trails. The following ideas and priorities were gathered directly from the Ashby community during the public outreach meeting held on April 8th, 2026. Your feedback at that session was used to create this survey which will be used to improve Ashby's Trail Vision Plan. This survey is the next step in our process to ensure the vision statement and trail priorities accurately reflect the needs of residents. Please help us prioritize these initiatives to create a Trail Vision Plan that serves Ashby for years to come.

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* 1. Trail Vision Statement. Please review the Trail Vision Statement below and include any input or suggestions in the comment box.

Ashby envisions a diverse trail network that honors landowner rights while providing high-quality outdoor recreation access for residents and enthusiasts, ensuring passive, active, motorized, and non-motorized forms of recreation go hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship.

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* 2. General Trail Vision Theme. Please rank these comprehensive trail themes with #1 being the most impactful to Ashby's trail vision.

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* 3. Trail Priorities – Current (1-5 Years). Please rate each of the community developed trail priorities for the next 1 - 5 years based on how much impact you believe each will have on Ashby's trail vision: Low Impact, Medium Impact, High Impact.

Please use the comment box at the bottom of this question to include any current 1-5 year trail priorities (with your associated rating) that were not included in this question.

  Low Impact Medium Impact High Impact
Trails connecting to Downtown amenities (gas station, restaurants, etc.)
Providing more information on trail difficulty and accessibility qualities (trail brochures, accessibility information, etc. )
Valley Road Bridge (construction)
Fitchburg trails connection through Ashby to Jewell Hill
Leverage local resources & make goals/projects visible to all trail groups (shared trail maintenance calendar, group email list, social media, etc.)
Stock farm access as a trail connection (liability insurance issues ?)
Multi-use trails with 4 season access
Specific trails for specific use-groups (Hiking, Snowmobiling, Mountain Biking, etc.)
Open Communication with Department of Fish & Wildlife & local Land Trusts
Investigate and inventory all class 4, 5, & 6 “abandoned” roads and Old Carriage trail network for inclusion in trail system
Create a local trails club/organization/association to improve cross-party coordination and potentially help with insurance issues

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* 4. Trail Priorities – Future (5-10 Years). Please rate each of the community developed trail priorities for the next 5 - 10 years based on how much impact you believe each will have on Ashby's trail vision: Low Impact, Medium Impact, High Impact.

Please use the comment box at the bottom of this question to include any future 5-10 year trail priorities (with your associated rating) that were not included in this question.

  Low Impact Medium Impact High Impact
Use trail system for eco-tourism based economic development
Inviting a local business or organization to sponsor a section of the local trail system
Collaborate to connect individual trails segments into a complete and contiguous network of trails
Create a town-based group overseeing public recreation spaces and trails (possible non-profit/501c3)
Proper Trail Use Enforcement / Implementation
Work proactively with Land Trusts to maintain appropriate trail access
Connecting Mount Watatic to Fitchburg trails
Connecting West Rd. (Allen Field ballpark) to Downtown

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* 5. Ashby Trail Inventory. Please review Ashby's current Trail Inventory and provide any suggestions or proposals below.

*Please note that the trails listed in this inventory are ones that are formal trails and promoted / open to the public. Trails on private property are not included in this inventory*

Ashby Trail Inventory

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