BELCHERTOWN — Belchertown is the most recent community to endorse the completion of the 104-mile Mass Central Rail Trail that runs through 26 communities across the state.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, the Select Board voted to send a letter of support to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation with the signatures of every department head, Select Board member and Town Manager Steve Williams. Town officials said the bike and walking trail will generate much-needed revenue for the town by ushering in Bay State residents from the east to central and western Massachusetts.

“When we were on that call with all the state officials, they said they would form this coalition, but what they really wanted to know was if the town is supportive of the project,” Select Board Member Jen Turner said. “I think for us as a board to be supportive of this project will be really impactful.”

The town harbors 12 miles of the statewide trail, beginning at the Amherst end of the 11-mile Norwottuck Rail Trail and ending near Swift River. Currently, the town has a grant to design a 1-mile stretch of trail from George Hannum Road to Maple Street, which includes the timber trestle bridge over Jabish Brook.

“We are doing something very unusual: building an 100-mile trail in a place without any regional cohesiveness,” said Craig Della Penna, a longtime advocate for the rail trail and president of the nonprofit Norwottuck Network, which supports build-out of the Mass Central Rail Trail.

According to a 2023 report commissioned by Della Penna’s organization, the trail could potentially attract between 4 million and 5 million visitors and generate more than $200 million per year for local communities.

Currently, 63 miles of the trail are open, and an additional 12 miles will be completed by the end of 2025. Roughly 98 miles of the trail are protected by public ownership, but these stretches require state assistant as they are much larger in scope and expense than the finished sections of the trail.

“The only impediment to getting this finished is a commitment by the state to finish the rail trail,” Della Penna said.

Belchertown is the eighth community to endorse the project — joining Hadley and Northampton in Hampshire County — which will require more than $100 million to complete. While federal grants will cover most of the construction costs, Williams said, municipalities must source funding for the design phase and permit applications prior to construction.

“That’s where we’re running into trouble because we’re trying to apply for grants to pay for this and it’s slow going,” he said. “We’re also running into issues with the railroad.”

The state will provide support in overseeing the project, helping municipalities source grants and apply for permits and serve as a liaison with the railroad companies, Williams said. State funding for the project remains a possibility in the future.

“I really think we need to have a coordinated effort between all the communities who are going to be part of this project so that we can advance together,” Williams said. “Otherwise we’re just going to have all these little islands and trails that will be used and be a benefit to their communities but they’re not going to pull in the group of people we want.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.