The Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District will host an Unpaved Road Maintenance Workshop from 8:00AM to 11:00AM on Thursday, June 22nd at the Milo Town Hall on 6 Pleasant Street in Milo, as well as a demonstration until 1:00PM on the Old Williamsburg Road.

The emphasis of this workshop will be to instruct road owners and others on how to properly build and maintain camp roads and other gravel surfaced roads, using erosion control measures that will help to protect and improve water quality through the reduction of soils loss.

Participants will learn about basic road building and maintenance techniques as well as gaining hands-on experience with the Front Runner. The Front Runner grader/rake is an attachment that fits onto the front of pick-up trucks utilizing a snowplow mount. It is used for road grading, maintenance, site clean-up, landscaping, finish grading and snow removal on soft roads. This tool consists of a row of heavy-duty, flexible spring steel tines individually bolted to a rugged, welded steel frame. A set of adjustable gauge wheels is attached to this frame in front of the tines for support. The entire attachment forms the configuration of a miniature road grader. It is controlled by the truck's snowplow hydraulic hoist.

Front Runners have the advantage over rear-mounted attachments, with improved visibility and control. The spring steel tines allow faster operating speeds than a bucket or blade because of their "forgiveness," plus they have the ability to separate and remove debris ahead of the vehicle so that it will not have to drive over the debris as happens with a rear-mounted or towed device.

Presenters will include Phil Curtis with the Maine Local Roads Center of the Maine Department of Transportation on road construction and maintenance, Jim Beyer with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on regulatory factors, and Russ Lanoie on Front Runner operation.

Participants in this workshop who have access to ¾ or one-ton vehicles equipped with an eight foot Fisher 25" push tab snowplow mount will have access to the Front Runner for a low rental fee. There is a $15.00 registration fee to cover the cost of the workshop. Refreshments will be served. Participants will be eligible for DEP recertification credits and Land Use Credits.

For registration information, call the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District Office at 564-2321, ext. 3.