The Kennebec Land Trust

THE KENNEBEC LAND TRUST WORKS COOPERATIVELY WITH LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE THE FORESTS, LAKES, STREAMS, WETLANDS, FIELDS, AND WILDLIFE THAT HELP DEFINE CENTRAL MAINE.

EDUCATION - PUBLIC PROGRAMS: AFTER TWO YEARS WITH LIMITED PUBLIC PROGRAMS DUE TO COVID, KLT WAS ABLE TO HOST PUBLIC PROGRAMS WITH MANY PARTICIPANTS. THIS INCLUDED A LYCEUM LECTURE PROGRAM ON MAINE MEDICINAL PLANTS, SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SNOWSHOE HIKE, FULL MOON HIKE, BIRDING PRESENTATIONS AND OUTINGS, COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP OF COBBOSSEE WATERSHED, AND PROPERTY DEDICATIONS. PUBLICATIONS INCLUDE: KLT NEWS: BIANNUAL NEWSLETTERS FEATURING NEW CONSERVATION PROPERTIES AND AN ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS; 2021 INTERN RESEARCH PROJECTS: (1)PARKER POND HEADLAND SURVEY FINDINGS, (2)BEST PRACTICES- MUNICIPAL ORDINANCES FOR SOLAR DEVELOPMENT, (3) TOWARD LAND JUSTICE: EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION WITH THE WABANAKI; TAKE A HIKE: THE KENNEBEC LAND TRUST HIKING GUIDE, SECOND EDITION PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2020 WITH THIRTY-TWO HIKES; SAVE HOWARD HILL-SCENIC BACKDROP TO MAINE'S STATE HOUSE, PUBLISHED IN 2014 - TEXT, MAPS, HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHS FOCUSED AUGUSTA'S HOWARD HILL, THE 164 ACRE SCENIC BACKDROP TO MAINE'S STATE HOUSE; YOUR WOODLAND: A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR KENNEBEC COUNTY LANDOWNERS, PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2012; BETWEEN PERSON AND PLACE: CONSERVATION HISTORIES FROM THE KENNEBEC LAND TRUST, PUBLISHED IN 2010, ESSAYS AND PHOTOGRAPHS HIGHLIGHTING THE STORIES BEHIND KLT'S CONSERVATION LANDS;

STEWARDSHIP - KLT STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS OVERSEE THE MANAGEMENT OF KLT'S FEE LANDS, MONITOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND WORK WITH 69 VOLUNTEER STEWARDS. KLT'S STEWARDS COLLECTIVELY VOLUNTEERED OVER 877 HOURS FOR TRAIL MAINTENANCE, MONITORING, AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECTS. CONSERVATION PARCELS THAT ARE ESPECIALLY LARGE IN ACREAGE, OR HAVE UNIQUE OR COMPLEX MANAGEMENT NEEDS, HAVE MORE THAN ONE VOLUNTEER STEWARD. KLT RECENTLY COMPLETED AN UPDATE OF THE TRUST'S STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN. THE PLAN INCORPORATES THIRTEEN ECOLOGICAL AND COMMUNITY PRIORITY CONSERVATION VALUES, INCLUDING PROXIMITY TO TRAIL ACCESS AND RESILIENCY TO CLIMATE CHANGE, TWO ADDITIONS TO THE PREVIOUS STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN. KLT'S STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN WAS DEVELOPED WITH GIS BASE NATURAL RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND WITH INFORMATION FROM COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANS. OUR PLAN HELPS TO IDENTIFY HIGH PRIORITY CONSERVATION AREAS FOR OUR 413,000-ACRE SERVICE AREA.

LAND PROTECTION - SINCE 1988, KLT HAS WORKED COOPERATIVELY WITH LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE OUR REGION'S NATURAL ASSETS. KLT HAS CONSERVED 7,260 ACRES IN A SERVICE AREA THAT COVERS 413,000 ACRES AND 21 TOWNS PRIMARILY IN KENNEBEC COUNTY, BUT ALSO ANDROSCOGGIN AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES. KLT HOLDS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON, ACCEPTS GIFTS OF, AND PURCHASES SIGNIFICANT LANDS TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. KLT'S COMMUNITY CONSERVATION LANDS PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT, WATER QUALITY, WORKING FORESTLAND AND FARMLAND, AND SCENIC BEAUTY, AND PROVIDE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YEAR ROUND OUTDOOR RECREATION FOR MAINE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. IN 2021-22, KLT PERMANENTLY PROTECTED 314 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF CONSERVATION LAND IN KENNEBEC COUNTY: 134-ACRE OAK HILL CONSERVATION AREA IN FAYETTE PROTECTS CONIFER AND HARDWOOD WOODLANDS, WETLANDS ALONG HALES BROOK, AND A FOUR ACRE FIELD. LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN PORTION OF OAK HILL, BETWEEN KLT'S SURRY HILL AND BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION LANDS, THIS PROPERTY OVERLOOKS ECHO LAKE TO THE EAST AND THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE TO THE WEST. 132-ACRE NORTH ACRES CONSERVATION AREA IN MANCHESTER IS ECOLOGICALLY DIVERSE WITH COLD WATER BROOKS, EXTENSIVE RIPARIAN AREAS, PRODUCTIVE HAYFIELDS, AND CONIFER AND HARDWOOD WOODLANDS. A CONTIGUOUS CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROPERTY IS PROTECTED BY THE MAINE FARMLAND TRUST. COMBINED, THE TWO TRACTS CREATE A 200-ACRE CONSERVATION PROPERTY THAT WILL FOREVER BENEFIT MAINE'S WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE. IN ADDITION TO THESE NEW CONSERVATION PROPERTIES, KLT EXPANDED THE FOLLOWING CONSERVATION PROPERTIES: TYLER CONSERVATION AREA IN READFIELD- ADDITIONAL 5 ACRES, TOTALLING 50 ACRES CONSERVED. MOUNT PISGAH CONSERVATION AREA IN WINTHROP- ADDITIONAL 7 ACRES ADJACENT TO NANCY'S BOG WHICH PROVIDES A KEY CONNECTION FOR FUTURE TRAILS AND PROTECTS WETLANDS AND UPLAND FOREST, TOTALLING 1,076 ACRES CONSERVED ON MT. PISGAH. VASSALBORO WILDLIFE HABITAT IN VASSALBORO- ADDITIONAL 36 ACRES, TOTALLING 366 ACRES CONSERVED WHICH PROTECTS A LARGE, CONTIGUOUS AREA OF IMPORTANT PLANT AND WILDLIFE HABITAT, INCLUDING OVER A MILE ON BOTH SIDES OF A STREAM THAT FLOWS INTO SEVEN MILE STREAM AND THE KENNEBEC RIVER. BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION AREA: AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH, KLT'S 10-ACRE BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION CEMETERY WAS INCORPORATED AS A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION IN THE STATE OF MAINE IN FEBRUARY,2020. THE CORPORATION, MANAGED BY A FIVE MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IS A 501(C)(13). THE CEMETERY IS SITUATED IN A STAND OF TALL WHITE PINES, WITH AN OPEN UNDERSTORY, SURROUNDED BY ROCK WALLS. A .25 MILE UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL WEAVES THROUGH THE PINE STAND AND OFFERS A CHANCE FOR REFLECTION AND A LOVELY VIEW. THE FALL FOLIAGE IS STUNNING IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. VISITORS WHO LINGER AT THE BENCHES OVERLOOKING THE ROLLING HILLS WILL LIKELY OBSERVE MANY SPECIES OF BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES IN AN AREA THAT WILL BE MANAGED FOR POLLINATORS AND EARLY SUCCESSIONAL HABITAT. THE BURIAL GROUND PROVIDES ECOLOGICALLY SOUND BURIALS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS. ON THE OPERATIONS END, KLT WILL MANAGE THE BURIAL GROUNDS AND COORDINATE PLOT SALES. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH FUNERAL HOMES THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED EXPERTISE WITH GRIEF SUPPORT, MEMORIAL SERVICES, AND TRANSPORTATION OF THE DECEASED AND BURIALS. THE BURIAL GROUND HAS RECEIVED CERTIFICATION AS A CONSERVATION BURIAL GROUND ACCORDING TO THE STANDARDS AND BEST PRACTICES DEFINED BY THE GREEN BURIAL COUNCIL AND THE CONSERVATION BURIAL GROUND ALLIANCE. THE CEMETERY BEGAN OPERATIONS AND THE SALE OF INTERMENT RIGHTS IN JUNE 2021. SINCE THE OPENING, 104 PEOPLE HAVE PURCHASED INTERMENT RIGHTS. ONE BURIAL TOOK PLACE IN 2021-22. THE MOST RECENT PROJECT WAS ADDITIONAL WORK ON THE POLLINATOR FIELD HABITAT.