Troop 45 builds a new bridge on Fire Tower Trail in Sterling Forest

Warwick - Late this summer, a group of scouts and adult volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 45 in Warwick completed a new bridge on the Fire Tower Trail in Sterling Forest State Park. This community service project, which constitutes one of the requirements for my advancement to the rank of Eagle Scout, started in November 2005. After contacting the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference to enquire about potential projects along the trails they maintain, conversations ensued with Pete Tilner and Suzan Gordon, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference trail supervisors for Sterling Forest, regarding locations where significant trail maintenance might be needed. It was determined that a bridge was needed on the Fire Tower Trail where it crossed a small stream near the trail head off of East Shore Drive in Greenwood Lake within the Town of Warwick. Stepping-stones had been used to cross the stream, but at times these rocks would be submerged in the water, making the crossing difficult, slippery and dangerous. Everyone agreed that this would be a worthwhile project and I began taking the necessary steps to get the project approved, first by the Park Manager at Sterling Forest State Park Jeffrey Hutchinson and then by the Minisink District Eagle Board. Once the concept was approved, the precise location of the bridge was determined, measurements were taken and the bridge was designed. Each step along the way required approval by the park manager, including the materials that would be used for the bridge itself. The final project approval included a review by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission both for structural integrity and aesthetic quality. My next step was to raise money for the materials needed for the bridge project. After many months of contacting various businesses and organizations, I raised enough money to begin the project. In early June, with the help of Mr. Tilner and Ms. Gordon, the foundation for the bridge using stones from the area was laid. Timbers were then anchored into the stones to complete the foundation for the bridge. Next, work crews were scheduled at my house to pre-assemble the bridge. In early July, the pre-assembled components were taken to the site for assembly. The final steps for the bridge were completed in September with the placement of additional stones at the base of the bridge and attaching the plaque that recognizes the donors for the project. The bridge is now complete for all to enjoy. Without the cooperative effort of the staff at Sterling Forest State Park, the NY/NJ Trail Conference, Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Warwick, Dawson Motors Inc., Etched in Time Engraving, Leo Kaytes Ford, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Roe Brothers, Inc., Warwick Knights of Columbus, Dr. Edwin O. Wiley and the many scouts and parents of Boy Scout Troop 45 in Warwick, this project could not have been a success.