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When the Kennebec Land Trust held its annual meeting on Sunday, August 24,2003, there were many accomplishments to celebrate. This year has seen extraordinary growth for the fifteen year old organization, having hired its first Education and Stewardship Coordinator, opened its first office, and increased its holdings significantly over the past twelve months to nearly 2,000 acres. Thanking dedicated volunteers and generous donors for their efforts topped the agenda. "The Kennebec Land Trust is a growing organization because of our fundamental strengths - a committed membership, a dedicated board, talented staff and a clear mission," noted President Andrew Fisk.

On the afternoon of June 5th, a group of Kennebec Land Trust members and Winthrop area residents joined Representative Linda McKee, Patrice Putman and Jim Norris, representing the Winthrop Town Council, and to celebrate the official opening of the new Mt. Pisgah Tower Trail. Glenn Hodgkins, KLT President, took the opportunity to recognize the many individuals and groups who helped get the trail in place - thus cementing the partnership between the Town, the Maine Forest Service and the KLT. Also at the ceremony was Mrs. Theresa Morrison, who established a stewardship fund in memory of her late husband Charles “Chuck” Morrison. Mr. Morrison had loved Mt Pisgah.

This community-wide effort protects the ninety-four acre mountain “crown jewel” parcel that includes the summit, the fire tower, the old fire road and the new blue-blazed hiking trail. There are now a total of 730 acres of conserved land in and around the Mt Pisgah Conservation Area. The hiking trail that winds through the woods and up to the summit is the product of hard-working volunteers, including local students. We were lucky to have several kids on hand to perform the ribbon cutting, the perfect way to celebrate a land conservation triumph for generations to come!

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On a beautiful Saturday in early June (there weren’t even many black flies), about thirty people gathered for the dedication of the new trail up Mt Pisgah in Winthrop. It struck me how important the work of the Kennebec Land Trust is to our local communities. At least forty people had volunteered significant time and effort to help KLT and the Town of Winthrop conserve the ninety-four acre fire tower parcel and build the new trail and parking area.

The Mt Pisgah Conservation Area represents a success that I suspect is surprising even to KLT’s founders. Thanks primarily to the vision of our own Jim Connors, 730 acres on the mountain are now part of the conservation area. I don’t need to tell you how important large natural areas are for wildlife habitat, water quality protection, and community recreation and education.

Thanks to your support and thousands of hours of volunteer effort, KLT is making a difference at the landscape level in several locations. We have made real progress over the last fifteen years in preserving our rural landscapes of forested hills, lakes, and farms. You’ll read in this newsletter about the exciting new acquisitions that are part of our Kennebec Landscapes Campaign. We now need your help to take another large conservation step forward.

As several speakers mentioned at the Mt Pisgah trail dedication, our work is all about leaving our children, and their children, with the natural treasures that make our corner of the world such a special place.

In trust,

In Trust,
Glenn Hodgkins

The winter passed rather quietly at the Curtis Homestead. The lack of snow and the very cold temperatures in January limited the skiing and snowshoeing, but several fine days in February attracted a number of visitors. Comments included: "Snow-shoeing most excellent," "Bitter cold but sunny!" and "Sunny and nice!!" Curtis costeward Andy Bosworth and KLT board member Andy Fisk did get out on a couple of occasions in January to dismantle a rather elaborate but dangerous tree house that had been constructed some time ago near the western boundary of the property.

We have completed a number of this season's scheduled projects. On April 10th, Karl Pease, a Monmouth Academy student, and his Ecology teacher, Andy Bosworth, installed bluebird boxes around the perimeter of the field. On April 24th, fifteen dedicated volunteers cleared a line of trees between the parking area and the field and removed invasive plant species in the field and forested areas - primarily Japanese barberry, non-native honeysuckle and bittersweet.

The USDA’s Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program funds the nine-acre field improvement effort. The field improvements will provide habitat for those species that would not likely be found nesting, foraging or migrating through this area if the field reverted to a forest. Since our workday was quite windy we will wait until late fall or early winter to burn the brush piles. We hope you will come and see the fields in transition - be sure to check for ticks when you leave!

This spring we also focused on two stewardship issues that could affect the placement and use of a second trail that we hope to build this coming fall. A bird on the USFWS Species of Special Concern list has been seen in the Curtis Homestead Conservation Area. The nesting area for this species is currently posted on a seasonal basis and will be closed each year from April to July.

In early June we spent the afternoon in the field with plant ecologist Arthur Haines, one of KLT’s Flora of Maine Lyceum speakers. We identified a number of plant species along our proposed trail route and Arthur answered questions about trail impacts and the flora at Curtis. It's shaping up to be a busy summer and fall at the Curtis Homestead. We hope that many of you will be able to enjoy all that the area has to offer.

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We are excited to announce the public phase of our Kennebec Landscapes capital campaign, co-chaired by Kevin Mattson of East Winthrop and Nona Boyink of Mount Vernon. The campaign seeks to protect six properties in four communities, by raising $500,000 to preserve more than $1,000,000 worth of property. Over $460,000 in cash and pledges has already been raised. With only $40,000 left, we are turning to our members and the public to bring this significant conservation effort to a successful end.

The keystone parcel of the campaign is the Parker Pond Headland in Fayette, including 100 acres of mature forest and over 5,000 feet of shoreline. This property is both a developer’s and a conservationist’s dream. Fortunately, the Karp/Diller family fall in the latter category and have given us an incredible bargain sale opportunity. KLT conserves two other properties totaling over sixty-three acres on Parker Pond.

Working with the Parker Pond Association, we have already raised a substantial portion of the funds needed to preserve the Headland. A recent $200,000 Land for Maine’s Future award moved us closer to raising the necessary funds to preserve this outstanding property. The other five properties comprising the Kennebec Landscapes campaign include:

• 95 acres of forestland added to the Mount Pisgah Conservation Area in Winthrop, where the Trust already owns or has conservation easements on over 630 acres.
• 100 acres of forestland in Readfield, generously donated by Douglas and Jesse Macdonald of Evanston, Illinois, and Wayne, now known at the Macdonald Woods. The property adjoins the Readfield Town Forest.
• 40 acres of forestland in Sidney, a generous gift from Beatrice Reynolds, now known as the Walter W. and Alice B. Reynolds Forest. The property includes shoreline along Goff Brook in Sidney which flows into the Kennebec River above the former Edwards Dam.
• 100 acres of forestland in Readfield, known as the Echo Lake Natural Area. The property is across the road from the Torsey Pond Nature Preserve on which the Trust has a conservation easement from the Town of Readfield. It is also near a seven-acre shore land parcel on Echo Lake owned by the Trust.
• 3.5 acres of forestland on Horseshoe Island in Cobbosseecontee Lake, Winthrop, thanks to a second generous gift from the Farr family. KLT already holds 28 acres on Horseshoe, nearby Perry Island, and a substantial portion of Hodgdon Island.

The Trust is raising acquisition funds for the new areas and stewardship monies for the donated ones. These properties allow the KLT to work toward connecting conservation landscapes. The Trust is most grateful to the following organizations for their generous contributions to the campaign’s success to date: Parker Pond Association, Echo Lake Association, and Kennebec Savings Bank.

Each KLT member will receive more information about this exciting campaign, and every donation will be important. If you have any questions, please contact Norm Rodrigue at 207-622-6204.

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In late 2001, the Town of Readfield purchased two parcels of land on the west side of Torsey Pond, creating the Torsey Pond Nature Preserve (TPNP). The primary parcel had belonged to John and Engelbertha St. Andre, and was offered to the Town by Mrs. St. Andre at less than appraised value as a conservation gesture. The Readfield Conservation Commission (RCC), with special leadership from Robert Mohlar and others, completed the acquisition with funds from a Maine Land and Water Conservation Grant, local contributions, and a town appropriation. The Kennebec Land Trust accepted a conservation easement on the TPNP in 2003.

The TPNP includes more than ninety acres, greater than one half mixed wood uplands, approximately one third marshlands, and the balance in submerged land and boggy islets. It includes over one mile of shore land, the longest undeveloped shore frontage in the town of Readfield. Three varied streams flow through or border the property. Faint logging trails were discernable in the uplands, and gave beginnings for a trail system.

TPNP provides opportunities for activities such as nature study, outdoor education, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.. Eventually about two miles of interconnected trails will be completed. Currently at least half of that is available, thanks to last year’s work by the Maine Conservation Corps, local school groups, and other volunteers. Two footbridges and several stretches of bog bridging are now in place. One trail leads to a shoreline site, where an old duck blind offers a nice view of Torsey Pond and adjacent marshlands.

Directly across Route 41 from TPNP is KLT’s Echo Lake Watershed Preserve. This 100 acre parcel was purchased in 2004 with generous help from members of the Echo Lake Association. The preserve will protect water quality, provide open space, and allow appropriate outdoor recreation. When combined, these two conservation properties create a green corridor from Torsey Pond to Echo Lake.

Looking ahead: A small parking lot/trail head off Route 41 is on the drawing board for this summer. Signage and trail marking is also on the agenda. Further trail work and a small boat landing area plus a few other amenities are envisioned, but it is intended that TPNP remain primarily a natural preserve allowing nature study, education, and low-impact recreation.

Directions to the TPNP and August 22nd Field Trip: The TPNP trail head is approximately one mile north of Kent's Hill on the east side of Route 41. Signs are not yet in place, but clearing for the parking lot should begin by mid-June. Our access lot is opposite the entrance to Davies Lane bordering the south pasture of the Meadow View Equestrian Center. RCC members will offer a field trip to the TPNP on August 22 for KLT’s Annual Meeting!

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After what seemed like endless rain in late May and early June, we were blessed with a wonderfully sunny day on Saturday, June 5th. KLT steward Ian Burnes of Gardiner led a large group down to one of his favorite sites, the Cobbossee Stream Conservation Area. Located just upstream from where the Cobbossee Stream flows into the Kennebec River, this KLT easement land, owned by the City of Gardiner, is a focal point of human and natural history. Near the breach in an old mill dam, on the north side of Cobbossee Stream, Dr. Gail Whipplehauser of the Department of Marine Resources gave an open-air lecture on diadromous fishes in the Kennebec, Cobbossee and other rivers and streams. Gail then led us down to the base of the falls to get a close look at the alewives. If you missed the outing, you are welcome to call the office for a copy of the field trip historical summary, a map and directions!

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The story of the creation of the Mt Pisgah Conservation Area is a success story not yet finished, but formed enough to tell the tale. The conservation story begins with the Mt Pisgah breakfast club, a small committee made up of then-President Wendy Denis, attorney Howard Lake, lands committee member Jim Connors, and local land owner Scott Davis. Periodically meeting over breakfast at Ned’s Place, the group plotted a strategy to conserve lands on and around Mt Pisgah. The inspiration and vision of what could be was brewed over a morning cup of coffee.

The first step was a community meeting with the twelve or so land owners in the area, where the purposes and goals of the Kennebec Land Trust were introduced. The group shared its land ownership purposes and we learned that we had a common interest in maintaining the area in its natural, open space condition for outdoor recreational pursuits. We stated our willingness to help land owners with their conservation plans and our interest in working with willing sellers to protect land in the area, without a penny in the treasury for land purchases.

This area is a relatively large block of undeveloped land located mostly in Winthrop along its common boundary with the Town of Wayne. It is an area of natural, open space caught in the midst of an expanding pattern of residential growth, which is nibbling away at its edges. An island of forests and wetlands, streams and ponds, mountain tops and ridges is set in a sea of sprawling development. In addition to KLT ownership, the land is owned by a variety of local and absentee land owners who hold their lands for tree growth, hunting and outdoor recreation, and who generally allow others to enjoy a variety of outdoor recreational activities.

The mountain and surrounding area has a long history of use. Evidence of past homesteading and farming is found in the form of stone walls and cellar holes. Farming families in the area tell of driving cows to the mountain for summer pasture as recently as the 1960’s. Logging roads and skid trails mark the periodic harvesting of the woods that have grown back since farming days. It has been a wellworked landscape that today is being increasingly used for walking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, snowmobiling and ATV’ing.

The focal point, Mt Pisgah, is a hill by mountain standards, rising only 803 feet above mean sea level, but a mountain in its local setting. The word Pisgah derives from a Hebrew word for peak or summit, referring to the place on Mt Nebo from which Moses looked out over the promised land. Thus, it is a place of overlook or view, which Mt Pisgah provides of the surrounding communities of Winthrop, Monmouth and Wayne. On a clear day one can see from the Camden Hills to the White Mountains.

1. Dexter Stream Parcel, Wayne. A 15-acre parcel donated by Dr. Robert and Meril O’Malley of Wayne in 1995. After hearing about the plans to focus on the Mt Pisgah area at an annual meeting, Dr. O’Mally invited us to come over to “talk turkey”. This discussion resulted in the decision to donate the land to the KLT. We were on our way, we were now landowners in the area!

2. Dexter Pond Parcel, Wayne. A 55 acre parcel (William Cutten lot) purchased by KLT in 1995, to be maintained as undisturbed natural open space and ecological reserve. This was the first purchase of land in the Conservation Area and came a year after the failure of an attempt to arrange a purchase of the property from the executors of an estate. With assistance from Chuck and Lorraine Ravis, North Monmouth resident and financial angel Jake Kansy, and then President Norm Rodrique, this land was protected. This parcel has great natural value and includes over 1000 feet of frontage on Dexter Pond and Stream. A section of the forest has state level significance as an enriched hardwood cove forest. Coupled with the Dexter Stream Parcel, this section of the Mt Pisgah Conservation Area will be maintained for its natural, scenic, and ecologic values.

The next five KLT acquisitions followed long negotiations with willing landowners - resulting in the protection of lands on the north and south sides of the top of Mt Pisgah, flanking the State-owned parcel containing the fire tower and access road, as well as lands around Nancy’s Bog (aka Apple Valley Lake) and a lot off Turkey Lane.

3. North Ridge Parcel, Winthrop. A 42 acre parcel purchased from the Heathcotes in 1998 to be protected as part of the Conservation Area.

4. North Side Parcel, Winthrop. A 100 acre piece purchased in 2000 from Lou Carrier and Jimmy Hopkins to protect the habitat and open space values on the lands on the north side of Mt Pisgah.

5. South Side Parcel, Winthrop. A 106 acre piece purchased in 2000 from Jimmy Hopkins and Lou Carrier to protect the habitat and open space values on the lands on the south side of Mt Pisgah.

6. Nancy’s Bog Parcel, Winthrop. A 224 acre parcel purchased in 2002 from Ann Walsh, executor and heir of Roger Oliver to preserve natural, wildlife, open space and recreational values of Nancy’s Bog.

7. Turkey Lane Parcel, Winthrop. A 95 acre parcel purchased in 2003 from Steve Wood and Jimmy Harrington to be protected as part of the Conservation Area.

8. Fire Tower Parcel, Winthrop. A 94 acre conservation easement granted by the State of Maine in 2003 on land sold to the Town of Winthrop to be conserved as open space. The permanent protection of the Mt Pisgah fire tower parcel is the keystone piece in the creation of the Conservation Area. Concerns about severe erosion on the tower road and threats to the water quality of Wilson and Dexter Ponds expressed by the Wilson, Dexter and Berry Ponds Lake Association led Representative Linda McKee to become involved. A deal was arranged to transfer a conservation easement from the State of Maine to the KLT and to sell the property to the Town of Winthrop.

The key to stewardship planning for the Mt Pisgah Conservation Area is provided by the recent protection of the fire tower lot by the Town of Winthrop and the KLT. The Mt Pisgah trail head will serve as the principle point of public access to the mountain, with additional access available at Nancy’s Bog. The KLT will be working closely with the Town of Winthrop to prepare a management plan for the Mt Pisgah Fire Tower property and a KLT stewardship group will expand the planning process to incorporate KLT lands into a Mt Pisgah Conservation Area. Community and adjacent land owner involvement will be sought along the way. One of the first stewardship planning tasks is designing a systematic and coordinated trail network through the area. If you would like to help with this effort, please leave a message for Jim Connors and the Mt Pisgah stewards at the KLT office, 207-377-2848.

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On January 17, 2004, the KLT held a Winter Stewardship workshop at it's new office in Winthrop. The event provided an opportunity for volunteer stewards for every KLT property to meet each other, talk about the property they are invovled with, and discuss successes and challenges in stewardship responsibilities.

One of the enjoyable aspects of the workshop was hearing from each steward what he or she felt was unique and noteworthy about a specific property. It was readily apparent that no two parcels are the same. For example, the island properties that KLT owns in Cobbossee Lake are available for day use, while Norris Island in Androscoggin Lake is a popular overnight camping destination (by reservation only.) Properties in both lakes are easy to identify and frequently visited by the public. Ohter parcels, such as the red pine-dominated Wyman Forest in Readfield, receive little public use. With its vernal pool, the Besse property in Wayne is a wonderful site for ecological and botanical exploration.The Mount Pisgah area in Winthrop and the Curtis Homestead in Leeds are the largest of KLT's conservation areas, at sizes of 730 total acres (so far!) and 360 acres, respectively. Both of these properties offer hiking trails. In contrast, the twenty-two acre sturtevant Farm in Fayette is protected by a scenic easement and is enjoyed for its beautiful views.

While some stewardship challenges are common to every KLT parcel, others vary with the ecology, size and the degree of human use the parcel receives. Land that is often visited by the public is subject to trail erosion and litter. Fotunately, we soon have a map available that will include directions, details about access, trails, unique features and times of year that are best to visit KLT lands. Some parcels have rare plant species that can suffer unintentional damage from foot traffic. Some have important wildlife habitats, such as bird nesting areas that humans should avoid during nesting season. Still others are vulnerable to invasion by non-native plant species. One property with a beautiful red pine plantation had to be selectively harvested, using an environmentally friendly method, after suffering severe damage from the January 1998 ice storm.

Stewardship Chair Jim Connors has developed a Property Inspection Report form, which he distributed to stewards at the January meeting. The form makes it easy for stewards to record important observations on the condition of the property as well as recommendations for stewardship activities. The Property Inspection Reports are being adjusted to reflect the individual nature of each parcel. A special thanks to our volunteer interns Laura Kenney and Mattie Edwards, who are working on this project with KLT volunteer Jane Andrews and Theresa Kerchner.

Members of the staff and Board look forward to working with each steward to visit properties over the upcoming year. KLT always welcomes volunteers who want to help with stewardship of protected lands. For more information , call the office at 377-2848.

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Approximately fifty-five people attended each of our four informative Flora of Maine Lyceum programs. The presentations gave our members and stewards the opportunity to learn about plant ecology and geography, uncommon and rare plants, non-native plant species, and forestry. The colorful slides of the diverse flora in Kennebec County and Maine were a highlight! Thank you again to our speakers: Dr. Susan Gawler, Arthur Haines, Chris Mattrick and Rob Bryan.

Please stop in the office if you would like a copy of any of the lyceum handouts or the historical summary of the lyceum movement written by KLT member, Mary Sturtevant. You can also hear more about the lyceum topic for next year - landscape art and conservation.

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My work for KLT is frequently defined by the weather and the seasons. The winter months are oriented indoors, towards the office, stewardship and education plans, and our annual lyceum. I do, however, love to roam KLT lands when the ground is frozen and the woods are open to longer views. Although the plants are dormant, the landscape is vivid; the colors, especially the reds and browns, are subtle but beautiful, and the air is a sure antidote for cabin fever. Two of my favorite winter walks this year were on the Curtis Bog from the Lower Fields trail to the Oak Island, and on the frozen Brackett Longley Rare Plant Preserve in Leeds. These winter walks reminded me again that there are many reasons to protect land.

Frequently our members look at the impressive list of KLT properties that are owned or under conservation easement and assume that all of these parcels have easy access and trails, like Mt Pisgah and Curtis. While a number of KLT's lands do have this conservation goal, there are several additional reasons why lands were donated and are now protected in perpetuity.

Fortunately, the KLT will soon have a map available that will include directions, details about access, trails, unique features, and times of year that are best to visit that site. This map, designed by KLT member Andy Tolman, is a pocket-sized version of the wall map that many of you have been admiring at KLT events this past year.

As you look at the map, it will be easier to see and appreciate all of the reasons for conserving lands. Some KLT properties, like the Gott Pasture Preserve, are forever wild and do not have trails. Others including the Brackett Longley Rare Plant Habitat, protect habitat for rare plants or wildlife species of concern in Maine. The Trust holds an agricultural easement on Flying Pond Farm, an organic farm in Vienna. A number of our lands, for example the Avery- Smith property in Readfield, and McGurdy Stream in Vienna, provide protection for shore land. All of these conserved areas protect open space and groundwater in our region of the State.

While we are finishing our map, please don't hesitate to call the office if you have a question about access to KLT lands. Our warmest thanks in advance to Andy Tolman, Chris Dimeo and Erin Frawley for the many hours they have devoted to mapping work for the Trust.

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Funding for the Land for Maine’s Future program has run out with the last round of awards this year. Legislation for approval of a new bond is before the Legislature and will hopefully go to voters in the fall of 2004.

Since 1988, the Kennebec Land Trust has been conserving land for Maine’s present as well as its future. Over that time, we have acquired some 38 parcels, totaling close to 2000 acres. These lands not only are for future generations but provide daily opportunities for all of us. The beautiful trails of the Vaughan Woods in Hallowell, the views from Mount Pisgah, the beautiful Cobbossee Islands in Winthrop, the trails of the historic Curtis property in Leeds and the gorgeous Mount Washington views from Baldwin Hill on the Sturtevant property in Fayette add immensely to our current enjoyment. When one looks at a map of the area, KLT properties extend from Sidney to Gardiner and from Vienna to Leeds and Monmouth. All are important to the quality of our lives today.

Over the 15 years of our existence, by my rough calculation, the Kennebec Land Trust has conserved approximately $3,000,000 worth of property based on current value. Remarkably, that has been done with under $10,000 of taxpayer money expended. What an incredible investment!

We have just received our first award under the Land for Maine’s Future Program: $200,000 towards purchase of the Parker Pond headland in Fayette. This grant will help us to preserve an incredible, prominent 100 acre parcel on beautiful Parker Pond.

Elsewhere in the area, Jamie’s Pond in Hallowell, Lakeside Farm in Manchester, and the Kennebec Highlands in northern Kennebec County have all been acquired through LMF funding. KLT has done well protecting land for Maine’s present, but to protect land in the future, the availability of money from the Land for Maine’s Future program will be critical to the Kennebec Land Trust as well as for other conservation projects around the state. I urge your support for a generous bond issue to extend the Land for Maine’s Future program.

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