The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of this newspaper.
To the Editor:
(Dec. 13, 2018) — I am a member of Boy Scout Troop #44 in Haddam and am working toward the rank of Eagle Scout. To fulfill the requirements of that rank I am planning to do a service project for the Haddam Land Trust, Inc. on their Beaver Ledges property. The project will include trail improvements and the construction of a twenty-foot trail bridge over Roaring Brook, which cuts most of the property off from road access and can now only be crossed on foot by stepping on rocks. To fund the materials needed for building the bridge and the trail work, I have set up a Go Fund Me page.
The project’s fund-raising goal of $1,000.00 will go toward custom-milled rough sawn oak lumber, construction adhesives and fasteners for field-laminating the main beams and securing a railing and flooring, concrete block for abutments and materials for blazing trails. All labor will be donated. The use of the more expensive red oak lumber will create a bridge that blends in with its surroundings and eliminates the environmental concern of having pressure treated lumber over a waterway. Laminated beams will allow for a single twenty-foot span to be built from boards light enough to be carried uphill to the bridge site. 
All donations will go to the Haddam Land Trust, Inc. for allocation to the project and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Any excess funds or materials will go to the Land Trust for future trail improvements. Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/beaver-ledges-bridge.
Thank you in advance of your support.
John Buhl
