JAY — When Brandon Coates of Livermore Falls decided to start working on an Eagle Scout project, he didn’t have to put much thought into where he wanted to focus his efforts.

“I’ve skied at Spruce Mountain Ski Slope my whole life,” he said. “It is where I learned to ski. Spruce Mountain means a lot to me and my family. Helping out is a good way to give back to my community, especially since there is a lack of funding right now.”

Brandon’s parents, Frank and Michele Coates, serve on the board of directors for the community ski slope.

Spruce Mountain is jointly owned by the towns of Jay, Livermore Falls and Livermore. It relies on volunteers, memberships and lift ticket sales to operate.

“It used to be, I would show up on a Friday night and the place was packed,” Brandon said. “Now, I am lucky to see someone in the lodge and someone else on the slope.”

A decrease in skiers makes covering expenses a challenge, Frank said.

Brandon knew the diesel fuel tank needed to be replaced, and he knew the project would be a costly but necessary expense for Spruce Mountain.

“Spruce Mountain does not have electricity and relies on a generator to power the rope tows,” Brandon said. “Groomers use the fuel, too. The old tank was not up to code.”

He drafted a proposal to replace the tank for his project. Once it was approved, Brandon got to work organizing volunteers, securing donations, and planning how to raise any money he needed.

The first two steps of the project are complete, he said. A new 1,000-gallon tank has been installed on a concrete pad. To finish the project, Brandon wants to build a structure over the tank in order to shield it from weather.  While Brandon has secured donations for most of the materials needed, he is raising funds to cover remaining expenses.

To do so, he is collecting donations of returnable bottles and cans. So far, he has raised more than $500 but needs another $200. Any funds left over after the project is finished will be donated to the mountain, he added.

Once the project is complete, Brandon said a dedication will be held.

Brandon, a senior at Spruce Mountain High School, belongs to Troop 518 based in Wilton. He has been involved in scouting since first grade. He is a member of the SMHS Outdoor Club and a three-sport athlete. Most years, he played football, basketball and track. This year, he dropped basketball to join the ski team, he said.

Brandon said the project would not have happened without the generosity of his family, friends, neighbors and several local businesses. The tank and pump were donated and installed by Precision Tanks of Jay; materials and labor for the pad was donated by Grimaldi Concrete of Jay and Haley Construction of Farmington; Jean and Adam Castonguay donated gravel; Irving Forest Products of Dixfield, Lowe’s, Dimension Lumber of Livermore and Chretien’s Construction of Livermore donated lumber for the roof; Dana Allen of Livermore Falls donated metal roofing. Other supplies and materials were donated by Hammond Lumber, Home Depot and Ware-Butler.

Brandon said anyone who would like to donate bottles should call him at 500-9475.

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