Belfast resident donates nearly 100 acres to establish a new dog park

BELFAST, Maine — A Belfast resident is donating 94 acres of wooded land, including a hand-built network of off-leash trails, to the city.

The donation secures a permanent outdoor space for dogs and their owners. Belfast councilors unanimously approved the donation during a meeting last Tuesday.

For nearly a decade, Charles Beck has carved out the property known as Fristad Trails by hand, clearing brush, cutting paths, and shaping a quiet sanctuary along the Little River. He said the idea traces back to his childhood in Sweden, where open public lands were a way of life.

“There were public lands everywhere, dogs running around, and it was just great,” Beck said.

His goal, he said, is to make sure this land and the freedom it offers never disappear.

“I’m not getting any younger,” he sai