Former Governor Kenneth Curtis and his sister, Rebecca Meredith, have given their 360-acre ancestral homestead to the KLT. The property, which will be named the Curtis Homestead Conservation Area, is located in Leeds about 1 mile south of Androscoggin Lake, near the Bishop Hill Road and the Bog Road. The property will be managed for significant wildlife and recreational resources. The Curtis family has owned the land since the 1830s, according to the former Governor who grew up on the farm in the 1930s and 40s.

The property includes portions of the Monmouth-Leeds bog on its eastern boundary, and is covered with mature pine and hemlock stands (not to mention a notable stand of sassafras in its most northern known occurence), and unusual oak stands on the dry hummocks within the bog.

We're extremely pleased that Governor Curtis and his family have entrusted us with the perpetual management of their homestead. This is another important addition to our inventory of protected lands. A stewardship committee has been formed to develop a management plan for the property. If you are interested you can contact the steward, Andy Bosworth (933-6023), or Collin Therrien, Board Director and Stewardship Committee chair (622-0996).

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Dear Members & Friends,

Well, I have served you as president for one year, and I look forward to one more year of working with you in this capacity on the important task of conserving and caring for crucial open spaces and natural resources in our communities. In past messages I have expressed my admiration for the dedicated work of our diverse Board of Directors and Committee Members. I continue to marvel at what we can do together and the profound understanding I have gained of the importance of members and supporters to the success of our good work.

We have accomplished a lot over the last few years. We have received a tremendous vote of confidence from land ownerswho continue to entrust to our care valuable pieces of natural wildlands and family homesteads. The Curtis family donation this year has cemented a widespread recognition that the KLT is a strong viable organization capable and able to accept the long term responsibilty of holding and caring for land. We have made modest gains in membership numbers, but remarkable gains in member support. The average level of membership giving has risen and the 1999 annual fund campaign was the largest ever. While still an all-volunteer organization we have matured in experience and capacity to a point where we are able to take the iniative in purchasing key parcels of land as they have become available.

There is more to do, of course, as witnessed by the items in this newsletter. We continue to be contacted by landowners who are interested in maintaining the open undeveloped nature of their properties. We continue to work with landowners and community members on several projects that will yield spectacular results when they are consummated. And we have an important stewardship responsibility to carry out on all of our parcels.

I am particularly excited about the opportunities inherent in preparing a stewardship plan for the Curtis Family Conservation Area. This task will test our skills and stretch our capabilities, but it will also broaden our leadership role in our communities, our management abilities, and our decision making processes. We welcome and need all of your help.

The basis for succeeding in all of this is all of us -- board members, regular members and supporters, and community residents. So I look forward to another year of incredible accomplishments with your full support.

Sincerely,
Jim Connors

The parcel is located on the southeast shoulder of Mt Pisgah and is contigous with the State of Maine lot. The property extends easterly down fairly steep slopes to several ownerships including the Oliver lot which contains Nancy's Bog. This parcel further extends the sweep of open space that extends from the shores of Dexter Pond and Stream up and over the mountain down into the valley.

Even though the prior owner harvested the larger hardwoods during the winter of 1998/1999, the fully wooded lot remains a central part of the visual quality of the mountain as viewed from vantage points in Winthrop, notably from the Metcalf Road. This parcel still contains a mixed growth of small to medium northern hardwoods, with interspersed hemlock, hop hornbearn, and white pine stands. There is reason to believe that given the bedrock ledge outcrops that investigation could turn up the existence of certain rare ferns, the Fragrant Cliff Wood fern (Dryopteris fragrans) and the Blunt-lobed Woodsia (Woodsia obtursa). These two ferns have historically been found on Mt Pisgah, but the exact location and current status is currently unknown.

Thanks to all our members who worked hard to make this purchase happen.

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Thanks once again to the special talents of Ann Judd and her capable helpers, we had another successful annual meeting this past August. This year's meeting was special on several accounts. We were very fortunate to have Governor Kenneth Curtis and his sister, Rebecca Meredith, attend the meeting to accept our thanks for their family's gift to the KLT. As well, Nancy Brackett, the generous donor of an ecologically valuable waterfront parcel on Androscoggin Lake, was on hand to accept our thanks. Both the Governor and Nancy had very thoughtful and encouraging words for our work.

The field trips to the Curtis and Brackett properties were well attended and offered a chance for our members to get out and see our work on the ground. After some exploring and socializing in the field, there was a reception and dinner held at the Augusta Country Club.

The annual meeting is always an enjoyable event that gives our many members an opportunity to visit our properties, reacquaint with each other, and have a good and inspiring time.

We hope to see you all again next year.

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