MACHIAS — Residents of the area will choose an official name for a newly formed multiuse recreation group at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Reynolds Center at the University of Maine at Machias.

People who are interested in snowmobiling, recreational vehicle riding, bike riding, hiking, cross-country skiing or other forms of outdoor recreation are urged to join the group. The group’s new name will be registered with state government.

Last month, the group was formed as a joint effort of the recreation management program at the University of Maine at Machias, the Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Machias Recreation Department.

The overall purpose of the group is to help provide opportunities for recreation in the area.

The first project, which is already underway, invlves the removal of bushes from the railroad track. The line has not been used by trains for several years.

Deb Eckart of the UMM faculty has been supervising the clearing of a portion of the tracks for winter use. She said the task was difficult but enjoyable.

“Lots of people enjoy skiing and snowmobiling on the tracks,” she said Monday. “But many areas were so overgrown with alders and weeds the tracks were impassable. We had dozens of people clearing with chain saws and brush cutters on two different days. We really made a difference.”

The main track was cleared from the railroad station in Machias to Whitneyville.

Dianne Tilton, executive director of the Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, said the new trail will be available for use this winter. Also, the tracks will be available for a variety of uses in the future. The tracks and right of way, which is owned by the Maine Department of Transportation, is leased to the Maine Bureau of Parks and Recreation for winter use only.

New England Southern Railroad Co., a short line operator, has cleared parts of the line in the Ellsworth area and is exploring the possibility of restoring freight-train service between Brewer and Harrington.