Kennebec Land Trust to host Celebration of Land Conservation

Join the Kennebec Land Trust (KLT) to celebrate another successful year of advancing land conservation throughout the Kennebec River and Lakes Region! Founded in 1988, KLT has conserved over 7,700 acres and constructed more than 58 miles of trails on KLT lands. This year’s event will take place over three days, with plenty of opportunities to learn more about KLT’s recent conservation accomplishments, latest trail improvements, and upcoming projects, and to connect with KLT staff, board members, and supporters.

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Plans in the works to expand Augusta’s Howard Hill to universal access

AUGUSTA — While it’s still more than a year away, Enock Glidden is watching a project that’s expected to bring universal access to Augusta’s Howard Hill.

After years of discussions, officials in Hallowell, Augusta and the Kennebec Land Trust are working to make the conservation and recreation area just west of the state capital complex more widely accessible to people with disabilities.

“From the Kennebec Land Trust’s perspective, it’s the property closest to the population centers in the area,” said Theresa Kerchner, land trust president. “So, if we are going to put time and resources into developing a trail, Howard Hill makes the most sense in terms of how many people will benefit from it.”

Spanning 164 acres, Howard Hill offers forested open space with a stream and a ridgeline with cliffs, bordered by developed areas in Augusta and Hallowell. Residents often walk the network of old carriage roads through the hill to experience the scenic view of the Kennebec River or the State House building nestled amid an expansive shade of green.

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Fayette residents donate woodlands to land trust for conservation

FAYETTE – Jane Brogan remembers riding Sancy, one of the many horses she once owned, into the vast woodlands she owned with her husband Jim, in Fayette. The longtime Fayette resident couple has now donated the 53-acre Bamford Pond Woodland Conservation Area to the Kennebec Land Trust.

Jim and Jane Brogan had owned and maintained the land for decades, since 1991, and after recent discussions with the land trust’s Land Committee members, the Brogans signed over the property in November.

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Winthrop-based trust conducting short survey

The Kennebec Land Trust Board and staff plan to update its strategic plan in 2024. The plan will set the organization’s course for the next five years. To better serve the community, the trust is seeking public comment through a short survey. A summary of the results, without participants’ names, will be presented to the KLT Board in early January, according to a news release from the trust.

Survey Link is bit.ly/kltsurvey.

Send this announcement with the survey link to friends and community contacts, one does not need to be a trust member to participate.

Anyone who completes the survey and wishes to be entered to win a $50 gift certificate donated from Monkitree or a KLT hat, please include contact information at the end of the survey. Otherwise, participants can remain anonymous.

The survey will close at the end of the day on Thursday, Nov. 30. Those who have additional comments or concerns, can contact Theresa Kerchner, trust executive director, at 207-377-2848 or tkerchner@tklt.org.

 

Winthrop-based trust conducting short survey (centralmaine.com)

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Longtime Manchester residents donate 68 acres of land to local trust

MANCHESTER – MJ Wagner Dedon remembers growing up on acres of land in Manchester with her parents and brother. She remembers going sledding and cross-country skiing, and picking dandelions that would grow around Mother’s Day, from which her father would make wine that she was not a fan of.

Now, she hopes that others can visit and make similar memories.

The Wagner family has donated their land, spanning 68 acres, to the Kennebec Land Trust, which will work to conserve the land’s habitats and potentially utilize the property to offer recreational activities to residents.

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Kennebec Land Trust to launch 35th anniversary trail challenge July 1

The Kennebec Land Trust plans to celebrate its 35th anniversary with a community trail challenge. From Saturday, July 1, to Sunday, Aug. 13, people can explore area trails and properties by hiking, walking, running, biking, swimming or paddling.

Local businesses will donate $1 for adults and $5 for children for every mile explored. The donations will be used for the stewardship of KLT’s 57 miles of trails, including the Mount Pisgah Conservation Area, as well as for the development of new trails, according to a news release from the trust.

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Land Trust Accreditation - Public Input

The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The Kennebec Land Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation. A public comment period is now open.

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how The Kennebec Land Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices.

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‘Day of Caring’ volunteers clean up more than a ton of trash around Cobbossee Watershed

GARDINER — Elliot Gilg held a black trash bag wide open for his father, Kerstin Gilg, as he climbed up from the riverbank with a hand full of trash.

“Last year, we cleaned it all up and we came back a week later and the trash was back,” 6-year-old Elliot said. “I was like, ‘Come on, man!’ But even if it adds back up, I feel good about cleaning it.”

“Really good cleaning it,” he said moments later.

Elliot and his father, alongside his 14-year-old brother, Alden, and mother Ilana, dedicated their morning to clean up trash along the riverbank of the Cobbossee Stream. The banking was one of 31 locations around the Cobbossee Watershed that drew participants on Saturday.

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Monmouth land to be protected from development

MONMOUTH — A 273-acre parcel that includes forest, wetlands, open fields and 3,670 feet of shorefront on Annabessacook Lake will be protected forever from most types of development.

Landowners Charlie Jacobs and Rebecca Stanley donated a conservation easement Monday to the Kennebec Land Trust, preventing the land from being developed, other than minor residential development on a 17-acre homestead part of the property, or some agricultural structures elsewhere on the property.

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