Conway Branch Rail Trail Advisory Committee

Next Meeting:	July 10, 2025, 10:00 am
Location:	Town of Ossipee – Freight House Meeting Room 1 Moultonville Rd Center Ossipee, NH
Join Remotely:	Link to follow

Committee Roster

Committee Purpose and Responsibilities:

The committee shall hold public meetings to provide advice to the department on the selection of consultants to prepare a management plan to develop, manage and maintain the corridor;

Establish a shared vision for the future of the Conway Branch Rail Trail corridor.
Provide opportunities to develop partnerships:
1. among local governments
2. between private property owners, local governments, and state agencies
3. between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors
4. with municipal/inter-municipal organizations, departments, and authorities
Identify links between recreational opportunity and economic prosperity related to the trail and integrate resource management and economic development sustainably.
Evaluate ownership and management alternatives for public access points, including shared use agreements, easements and/or acquisitions.
Develop an implementation plan that puts us on a path toward realizing the management vision.
More intensely studying certain sections and structures to make recommendations for construction feasibility and design work and to prioritize projects.

Background:

In January 2025 the Final Report of the HB1468 Planning Group was issued which recommended that the highest and best use of the state-owned Conway Branch Railroad corridor was recreational use and that the corridor would be best managed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation.

The approximately 21-mile corridor is located in two towns, Ossipee and Madison, and roughly breaks down as follows, from south to north:

4.84 miles from Northcoast/NHDOT ownership change in Ossipee near old Route 28 (near DOT Patrol shed) to Moultonville Road in Center Ossipee.
10.29 miles from Moultonville Road in Center Ossipee to just south of roadway crossing at Route 113 in Madison.
5.9 miles from approximately 700’ north of roadway crossing at Route 113 in Madison north to the Conway Town line where Conway Scenic Railroad takes over ownership.

In addition, there is a 0.13 mile (700 feet) privately owned section included in HB 1468 from roadway crossing at Route 113 in Madison north 700’ that is an important snowmobile corridor.

Conway Branch Feasibility Study

Meeting Minutes

June 19, 2025

Conway Branch Rail Trail Advisory Committee Meeting - DRAFT

Resources

Conway Branch Trail Advisory Committee Overview
Conway Branch Trail Advisory Committee Purpose
NHDHR Railroad Resources
NH Railroad Historic Context Statement