LAND TRUST NEWS
Volume 4 Number 2 - Spring 1998
Pot Luck Dinner with the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust
Saturday, May 9, 1998 from 4-7 PM
Scarborough United Methodist Church*
A Dunstan landmark is the site for the Scarborough
Land Conservation Trust's Spring Forum - a Pot
Luck Dinner. The Scarborough Land Conservation
Trust invites you and your family to join us for a
social evening accompanied by some good home
cooking.
Got a particular specialty you can bring? Several people have already signed up to bring an entree, salad or dessert...but more will be needed. All the beverages and utensils will be supplied. Call Laurene at 883-4909 to let us know what you can bring.
The Scarborough Land Conservation Trust will also
be holding their annual meeting to elect officers for
1998. It also a good opportunity to meet the
Trustees, ask questions, learn about some of our
current projects, or to give us your ideas and
comments.
We will also have a presentation by landscape architect Terry Dewan. Terry's work here has afforded him the opportunity to view and photograph "Scarborough by Air" and now so can you. Come see what your place looks like from the air!
*Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
We again wish to thank Mr. Lee Adams, Jr. of Windward Corporation for the donation of land within the Windward subdivision off Gorham Road. The 9 acre parcel deeded to the Trust includes Nonesuch River frontage on both the north and south sides amounting to 1991 feet. The parcel includes the Nonesuch River, floodplain and riverbank. Access to the property can be gained at the end of Windward Lane or from Gorham Road. This piece will be significant as the Trust hopes to provide a canoe launch site for a potential canoe trail on this navigable section of the Nonesuch River.
We also wish to thank the developers of Dunn Estates off Burnham Road who have donated two parcels within their subdivision totalling 30+ acres. The 16 acre parcel on the eastern side of Dunn Estates Drive consists of fresh water vernal pools and a tributary to the Nonesuch River. The 14+ acre western portion is largely wooded. Both are criss-crossed by deer trails. You can access the eastern/wetland area from Dunn Estates Drive and access the western/wooded area from Burnham Road.
To date, the SLCT protects 314 acres!
The Scarborough Land Conservation Trust was recently awarded $1000 from the Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Maine Forest Service. The USDA Stewardship Incentive Program seeks to improve wildlife, recreation, water quality and timber on Maine's small woodland ownerships. Eligible woodlot practices include reforestation & tree planting, woodland thinning, pruning & weeding, windbreak & hedgerow establishment & maintenance, soil & water conservation practices, riparian & wetland protection practices, fisheries & wildlife habitat improvement, and forest recreation enhancement including trails.
The Trust applied for funds in order that 1998 trail improvement activities can be undertaken at Sewell Woods and the Libby River Farm. The funds can be applied toward the purchase of gravel & crushed rock, building materials for boardwalks, renting chippers & brush cutters and the purchase of hand tools.
It should be noted that anyone owning a woodlot of 10-999 acres is eligible for funds under the SIP program provided you have a forest management plan signed by a professional forester. If the management plan meets the requirements of the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law, you may qualify for a state income tax credit. Call the USDA, Farm Service Agency, Gorham, Maine, 839-4833.
for an application or for more information.
To date, the SLCT has raised $372,395 towards the purchase of the Libby River Farm - up $16,208 since last winter. We expect to receive a partial payment from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund before the printing of the next newsletter. Once these funds are received, we're looking at a balance of approximately $40,000. We're looking forward to a zero balance in 1998!
SLCT Membership Continues to Grow
In February 1997, the SLCT followed up our initial membership campaign with a town wide mailer. Scarborough residents received membership materials similar to what you received last winter. From this most recent appeal, we're pleased to welcome more than 100 new members and to have raised over $4000 in membership funds! Thank you for your support!
We'd like to welcome Rick Shinay as our newest Trustee. Many of you already know (or know of) Rick as he is member of the Scarborough Planning Board & Open Space Committee. Rick is a real estate attorney & partner with the firm Drummond, Woodsum & MacMahon in Portland. So whatever free time Rick has left, the Trust should quickly fill that void.
East Coast Greenway Plan
Presented to Town Council
The East Coast Greenway will be a multiuser urban alternative to the Appalachian Trail extending from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine. It is the intention of the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA)that users of all ages abilities will be able to travel along this culturally and naturally rich corridor. The ECGA is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to making this greenway a reality. If you would like more information about the ECGA, write them at 135 Main Street, Wakefield, RI 02879 or visit their web site: www.greenway.org.
On February 18, SLCT Trustee Tom Daley, several members of the Eastern Trail Committee along with East Coast Greenways' Maine representative Sue Ellen Bordwell, made an appeal to the Scarborough Town Council to grant the SLCT a conservation easement for a 2000 foot section of Old Eastern Trail between the Old Blue Point Road and the Old Orchard Beach town line. The presentation included an overview of the East Coast Greenway plan and stressed Scarborough's importance in the overall success of the plan. The Scarborough Town Council voted unanimously to grant the SLCT this easement
The Eastern Trail Committee (see side box) has been working hard to make the East Coast
Greenway plan a reality in southern Maine. The group is seeking funds in order that an engineering evaluation may be done for the Eastern Trail to find out just what improvements will be needed to make the Eastern a multi user trail (ie: evaluation of surface quality, bridges, culverts, etc.).
Here's how you can further the Eastern Trails Committee & the East Coast Greenway efforts in Maine: 1) Ask municipal officials to contact the Maine Turnpike Authority to ask its board to support the recreational bridge over the pike just east of the Kennebunk rest area. This bridge is needed to relink the Eastern Trail which was cut when the turnpike was built. 2) Contact your legislators and ask them to support the trail and efforts to obtain funds for the urgently needed Eastern Trail Corridor engineering evaluation & planning study.
On the South Portland end of the Eastern Trail, the South Portland Greenbelt is being extended to Highland Avenue. Although South Portland still has much work to be done, we're excited to be able to link with approx 8 miles of South Portland Greenbelt trails by summer.
We are making plans for a general clean up of the Old Eastern on Saturday, May 16. We will need a couple of trucks or trailers and lots of volunteers (with gloves). If it's a nice day, you'll want to have lunch on the marsh. Not only will you have fun, you'll show your support for our trail. Call Tom (883-6183) or Laurene (883-4909) for more info.
Eagle Scout candidate Peter Curley has begun a 200 hour community service project on the Libby River Farm. He has already helped to flag out approximately 2000 feet of trail with the help of Trustee Steve Ferguson. The initial trail location work was done by Glenn Evans, Caretaker of the Maine Audubon Hamilton Sanctuary in West Bath. We thank Peter for his efforts to date and look forward to working with him to create the trails.
The SLCT will be receiving additional stewardship support on the Libby River Farm from the national AMERICORP program. The Americorp/SLCT project is scheduled to begin June 10th through the 17th. The Americorp team will consist of 6 young adults ages 18-21 under the direction of supervisor, Scott Phieffer. The Americorp team will be camping on-site for the entire week. This Americorp team is experienced in trail building through both woods and wetlands. Where possible, the team will use wood products from the site for the construction of boardwalks and bridges. We are also looking for volunteers from the community to help out on the weekend of June 16-17. If you or your group would like to participate, please call Steve Ferguson at 883-1162 to coordinate.
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If you are not a member & would like to continue to receive our newsletter, please
contact us. Thank you.
Scarborough Land Conservation Trust
P.O. Box 1237
Scarborough, Maine 04070-1237
