MCHT Conserves 1,500 Acres along Bold Coast

Maine Coast Heritage Trust recently used an array of creative approaches to protect four key parcels that lie at the heart of the Bold Coast, including the largest property in single ownership that remained unprotected along this dramatic and diverse shoreline. Thanks to conservation-minded landowners and generous foundation support, MCHT secured more than 1,500 acres including grasslands, blueberry barrens and shorefrontage. The newly protected lands encompass most of the Bog Brook watershed and nearly two miles of coastline that lie between the State’s 12,000-acre Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land and MCHT’s existing preserve at Moose Cove.

The 900-acre Bog Brook Cove Farm property encompasses tremendous biological diversity. A long, cobble beach spans the Cove, framed by forested headlands and decorated by graceful, wave-sculpted volcanic formations. Just up from the Cove, 10-acre Norse Pond offers high-value habitat to wood ducks and American black ducks. The upland portions of the property hold a mix of wet meadows, grasslands, birch-aspen woods, and spruce-fir forest. Consulting ecologist Norm Famous described the grasslands here as “the second highest quality grassland barren of its type in the lower 48 states.” Around 90 acres of upland are in active blueberry production, helping support the local economy and providing habitat for marsh hawks, northern harriers and savannah sparrows.

For more than 20 years, local conservationists have hoped to secure the future of Bog Brook Cove Farm. “These lands have always ranked high in our local list of priorities, and have been recognized by State programs—like Land for Maine’s Future and the Natural Areas Program—for their exceptional conservation values,” notes Alan Brooks, Executive Director of Quoddy Regional Land Trust. To protect this valuable setting, MCHT worked with eight landowners and drew on a wide array of techniques to stretch conservation dollars.

In that process, the Trust received help from Greg and Catharine Moser—who acted as conservation buyers to purchase 82 acres on and around Stone Hill, the highest promontory in the area, saving it from fragmentation into house lots. This wildlife-rich property encompasses the upper reaches of Bog Brook, and supports rare communities of blue-joint grass meadows and yellow rails—a bird seldom seen in Maine. MCHT now holds an easement on the Mosers’ land that provides for public access to the hill (and allows for a future trail to the State’s Reserve Unit). In September, MCHT purchased a 500-acre parcel adjoining Stone Hill that will further protect sensitive habitat and buffer Bog Brook and Rice Brook, both of which contain healthy populations of native brook trout.

Trust staff then worked with landowners at Moose Cove on a creative land-for-structures swap to conserve additional undeveloped shoreline. “While largely undeveloped, Bog Brook Cove Farm does have some residential structures on it,” explains MCHT Project Manager Patrick Watson. “Knowing that landowners at nearby Moose Cove were planning to build a waterfront home abutting our preserve there, we asked if they would consider swapping their undeveloped 50 shorefront acres for the clustered compound of buildings already at Bog Brook Cove.” That way, the buildings at Bog Brook Cove Farm would remain in private ownership and on local tax rolls. In February, that swap was completed, preventing further development along 3,700 feet of Moose Cove (where MCHT had preserved 75 acres of raised coastal peat bog in 2005). The Trust retains a conservation easement on the Bog Brook Cove homestead area and a right of first refusal should the new owners ever want to sell it.

The four newly protected parcels help create a contiguous wildlife corridor of more than 8 miles and 13,500 acres, stretching from the Bureau of Parks and Lands’ Cutler Coast Unit to MCHT’s preserve at Moose Cove. By linking existing conserved lands, these four new acquisitions will greatly expand wildlife habitat—particularly for wide-ranging mammals such as black bear, bobcat and fisher.

Potential for future trail linkages enhances the high recreational value of the newly conserved lands. Washington County is one of three regions in Maine participating in a statewide initiative to foster nature-based tourism, drawing visitors for low-impact outdoor experiences. “The Bold Coast has a lot to offer those who enjoy hiking, wildlife-watching and spectacular scenery,” notes Judy East of the Washington County Council of Governments, who co-chairs the Vacationland Resources Committee that is promoting sustainable tourism in the area. “We’re delighted that Maine Coast Heritage Trust is making more natural destinations accessible to the public, protecting lands that can help support our regional economy.”

Fundraising efforts for this ambitious project are ongoing, and the Trust is relying on gifts both large and small. In addition to receiving support from foundations, MCHT has submitted a proposal to the Land for Maine’s Future Program and is reaching out to Trust members. To make a contribution or to learn more, please contact Warren Whitney, MCHT’s Associate Director of Development, at 207-729-7366 (or wwhitney@mcht.org).

From MCHT’s Board Chair: Persistence and Creativity Downeast

Twenty years after MCHT first saved several key peninsulas along the Bold Coast from the prospect of 30-lot subdivisions, it has conserved another key stretch of this remarkable shoreline. There’s a wonderful symmetry in having this latest milestone fall on the 20th anniversary of the Trust’s first commitment to Bold Coast preservation. But looking at the cumulative map of conservation achievements downeast, what strikes me is how much steady progress occurred without fanfare during the intervening decades.

What this map cannot capture is the fullness of each project story—such as the incredible generosity of the private landowners who donated easements and land or who offered MCHT key parcels at a fraction of their market value. The Bold Coast might look very different today were it not for the vision and conservation ethic of landowners like Ernst Martin, Charles and Madeline Lookabaugh, Gordon and Ruth Corbett, and the Bohlen, Pike and McGhie families.

Foundations and public funders also have been powerful allies in sustaining the exceptional conservation values of this region. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation loaned MCHT the money it needed—in short order—to secure Boot, Western and Great Heads back in 1988. The next year, the Richard King Mellon Foundation helped fund a significant purchase by The Conservation Fund encompassing 2,100 acres and 4 miles of wild shoreline, along with 8,900 acres of woodlands and rare grasslands (all of which later became part of the State’s Cutler Coast Reserve). The Land for Maine’s Future Program played a critical role in helping fund that major acquisition. Sweet Water Trust later assisted MCHT in purchasing shorefront land now incorporated into the Hamilton Cove Preserve.

MCHT has a number of grant proposals pending for its work at Bog Brook Cove Farm and gratefully received generous contributions late last year from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts through its Northeast Land Trust Consortium. We look forward to updating you further on support for this work in future issues of Maine Heritage.

While the map and photos shown here convey some of the vast scope and grandeur of the Bold Coast, these two-dimensional views don’t begin to do justice to the place. If you haven’t yet ventured east of Machias, I urge you to go see this remarkable landscape for yourself. When I visited there last summer, it gave me an even greater appreciation for the 20 years of steady effort that has gone into sustaining this exceptional corner of Maine.

Caring for Conserved Lands: MCHT’s Regional Land Stewards Part II

To assist in caring for its 75 preserves and 183 conservation easements, Maine Coast Heritage Trust now has six regional land stewards. Two were profiled in the last Maine Heritage: the other four are introduced here.

Kirk Gentalen, Vinalhaven

Kirk Gentalen works on Vinalhaven and North Haven as MCHT’s part-time land steward—maintaining trails, monitoring conservation easements, working on management plans, conducting wildlife surveys and doing educational outreach (relying on 15 years of experience as an environmental educator). He also does stewardship work for Vinalhaven Land Trust so MCHT’s work with the local trust is well integrated. “When I came to Vinalhaven four years ago, I didn’t expect much in the way of open space,” Kirk observes. “What is here in terms of natural areas is truly awesome.” Last year, he studied a 255-acre property on the Basin that had recently been given to MCHT and found 33 species of breeding birds!

Doug McMullin, Penobscot Bay Region

Nearly all the skills Doug McMullin picked up in a diverse assortment of former jobs—as a climbing guide, windjammer crew member, outdoor educator, and commercial pilot—inform his work caring for preserves and easements around Penobscot Bay and Deer Isle. Doug takes delight in what he calls the “fantastic diversity” and dynamic nature of stewardship work, which has “no task that isn’t interesting to me.” His position involves a great deal of travel on and offshore, and frequent interactions with preserve visitors, easement grantors and community members.

Terry Towne, Mount Desert Island and Vicinity

Having grown up along the intracoastal canal in Florida, Terry Towne has always felt at home on the water. His work for MCHT has him offshore a great deal—traveling to and from Marshall Island, Frenchboro and Tinker Island. Terry holds a captain’s license and knows the local waters well, having worked formerly as a lobsterman and scallop diver. His previous experiences as a code enforcement officer and construction worker come in handy as well during trail building and improvement projects. Terry says he likes “making these places available to people and seeing the enjoyment they get out of being there.”

Melissa Lee, Downeast

Melissa Lee began her part-time position on Washington County preserves 10 years ago, making her MCHT’s first regional steward. Her job responsibilities keep growing: just in the past year, the acreage she’s responsible for more than doubled. Melissa loves her “fantasy job,” saying “it’s always been such a privilege to care for these properties that are part of my neighborhood.” Her strong background in natural history informs both her preserve management and community outreach (e.g., Melissa runs an elementary school outing club that gets children out to area preserves for snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking and rock-climbing). Recently, she helped MCHT’s stewardship team assess the “carrying capacity” of its preserves—a topic we’ll cover in the next Maine Heritage.

Volunteers Needed

In our Topsham office, we are seeking a person to help answer phones on Monday mornings, and volunteers willing to help with occasional mailings and administrative tasks. Our Somesville office needs volunteers to periodically answer phones and help staff when the office manager is away. There are also long-term projects that would benefit from the attention of a few focused volunteers (who could schedule work at their convenience).

To volunteer in Topsham, call 729-7366 and speak with Donna Bissett or Celeste Black. If you'd like to help out in Somesville, contact Heidi Smallidge at 244-5100.

Maine Land Conservation Conference

“Conservation and Communities”; May 2 and 3 in Brunswick

This year, MCHT's annual conference offers an array of speakers, trips and workshops: for details, please visit www.mcht.org. Conference highlights include:

• Sustainable Communities, Meaningful Lives, a keynote talk by writer, naturalist and activist Janisse Ray (author of the Ecology of a Cracker Childhood);
• A Friday afternoon field trip to the Lower Kennebec Regional Land Trust’s 125-acre Merrymeeting Fields preserve—which offers great birdwatching opportunities and impressive water views;
• Thirty-five informative workshops on Friday and Saturday, providing all levels of guidance on topics related to organizational management, stewardship, development, mapping and collaboration;
• Two “idea forums” for brainstorming new techniques, funding mechanisms and partnerships within Maine’s land trust community; and
• A Friday evening reception at Brunswick’s Frontier Café, with short conservation films and a photography exhibit of works by area schoolchildren.

Notable Conservation Gains in 2007

Saddle Island, Penobscot Bay

Visitors to Camden Hills State Park who ascend Mount Battie look out at a chain of islands that extend south from Islesboro—just a few miles out from Camden Harbor. Near the end of that chain lies Saddle Island, a 10-acre wildlife haven with an active osprey nest, eagle perching sites and seal haulouts. A conservation easement recently given to Maine Coast Heritage Trust will protect forever the ecological and scenic values of this wooded gem and guarantee that people can continue to enjoy its two beaches.

Saddle Island belongs to David and Jack Taylor, whose father purchased the property in 1940 (for the princely sum of $250). Their family has enjoyed picnics and outings on Saddle over the intervening decades and wanted to pass the island on to the next generation without it being a financial burden. The easement precludes all future development (save for a possible tent platform), while granting public access to the two cobble beaches and a trail that links them. Jack Taylor says his family is pleased with their decision to preserve Saddle in perpetuity: “Now we can continue to enjoy the place,” he notes, “knowing it is well-protected for future generations.”

Small Point, Phippsburg

A conservation easement donated to Maine Coast Heritage Trust now protects the easternmost point in Casco Bay, a 30-acre peninsula in Phippsburg. With more than a mile of shore frontage, this property encompasses a wide array of habitats—including rocky headlands, scrub brush, woods, dunes and two small beaches. The easement precludes all future development, preserving the land’s exceptional scenic and ecological values (but it does not provide for public access).

The property is jointly owned by members of the Lee and MacFadyen families, two branches of the Sewall family that has held the land for decades. The owners are deeply committed to conserving their land and several generations of the family worked for more than 15 years to ensure its permanent protection. Family members credit their grandmother, Camilla Sewall Edge, and their mothers, Camilla Edge Lee and Mary-Esther Edge MacFadyen, for the foresight to pursue preservation of this land. “Our families have always wanted Small Point to remain wild and now we know that it will,” reflects Richard Lee, one of the property’s owners. Camilla MacFadyen Lewis, another family member, adds, “With the signing of this conservation easement, our families are finally realizing a dream that is several generations old—to preserve the Point forever.”

Little Kennebec Bay, Machiasport

During 2007, MCHT secured several new properties totaling nearly 70 acres along the western shore of Moose Snare Cove in Little Kennebec Bay, a “whole place” that the Trust has worked for more than two decades to protect. The recent purchases conserved lands along Moose Snare Cove and Johnson Point that had been slated for subdivision into 11 lots.

The newly conserved acreage adjoins lands that MCHT protected in 2006 in cooperation with the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and lies just across the water from MCHT’s Hog Island and 425 acres on Mill Pond owned by Bill Coperthwaite, who completed an easement with MCHT in 2003.

“The beautiful lands surrounding Moose Snare Cove and Mill Pond contain exceptional wildlife habitat and may afford opportunities in the future for shorefront trails that the public could enjoy,” notes MCHT Project Manager Patrick Watson. “Our most recent acquisition includes a trail easement along the eastern shoreline of Narrows Mountain. Within this 1,500-acre area, we now have more than 6 miles of undeveloped shoreline permanently protected. And work is still underway.”

One Member’s Steady Support

Ann Cort moved to Maine in 1990 following decades of summer visits that had deepened her love for the Maine coast. Since settling on Orr’s Island, Ann has felt a strong commitment to conserving this coast’s precious heritage. In 2001, inspired by the campaign to protect Whaleboat Island, Ann became a member of Maine Coast Heritage Trust. “I’ve seen how things have changed in Maine,” she reflects, “and I can’t bear the thought of the whole coast being vulnerable to development.”

Since joining the Trust, Ann has mailed in a contribution every month. She says simply, “it’s just a priority for me.” MCHT’s Development Director, Jonathan Labaree, notes how much this consistent support means to the Trust: “Receiving Ann’s monthly gift always brightens our day. Her dedication is both humbling and inspiring: we are grateful for the trust she places in us and we always work to match her passion for the coast.”

Ann’s family ties in Maine stretch back three generations: she first came as a child to Kittery with her grandparents who had a summer camp there. “Through the generations, we all seem to gravitate here,” she observes. “There’s just something about the Maine coast.” Ann lives in the spot where her brother once had a small camp, a few minutes’ walk from dramatic cliffs overlooking Lowell Cove in Casco Bay. “I try to get out for a walk every day,” she notes. “It helps remind me of how special the Maine coast is.”

L.L. Bean Regrant Program Builds Local Land Trust Capacity

For the past four years, L.L. Bean has funded a grant program that has provided more than $75,000 to Maine’s local land trusts, helping expand their capacity for land protection and stewardship. Maine Coast Heritage Trust is a partner in this effort, selecting grant recipients and administering the program. The L.L. Bean grants have gone toward a wide array of projects—from membership development and conservation planning to public outreach. “These grants have a big impact because they cover dimensions of land trust work that can be hard to fund through other sources,” explains Megan Shore, MCHT’s Maine Land Trust Coordinator. “L.L. Bean’s consistent and generous support has given a meaningful boost to 19 land trusts throughout the State.” The company’s contribution has been supplemented by a personal donation to the grant program from Lisa and Leon Gorman, who chairs the board of L.L. Bean.

2007-2008 Grant Recipients

• Mahoosuc Land Trust – $4,000 for a fundraising consultant to help strengthen the Trust financially
• Woodie Wheaton Land Trust – $2,000 for a summer intern who will conduct landowner outreach
• York Land Trust – $4,000 to help support municipal outreach work as part of the Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Initiative
• Bangor Land Trust – $4,725 to help develop collaborative management plans for two well-loved preserves
• Western Foothills Land Trust – $4,025 to help launch an acquisition campaign for a 150-acre farm in Norway
• Cape Elizabeth Land Trust – $4,000 to create and distribute strategic outreach materials

Land for Maine’s Future Program: Celebrating Two Decades of Success

Maine voters extended funding in November for the State’s popular and far-sighted Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) Program. For the fourth time since the Program’s creation in 1987, voters resoundingly approved LMF funding (with a majority vote recorded in all 16 Maine counties).

MCHT and Maine’s land trust community worked actively in the coalition that garnered support for the $35.5 million measure ($17 million of which will go to the LMF Program). Maine Coast Heritage Trust extends thanks to all the individuals and organizations who worked and voted in support of the latest LMF bond.

Over the past two decades, the LMF Program has helped fund more than 200 land conservation projects across Maine (two dozen of which MCHT had a key role in).

LMF Support for MCHT Projects

(most of which were completed in partnership with local land trusts)

• Beech Hill in Rockport
• Crowley Island off Jonesport
• Cutler Coast
• Donnell Pond/Tunk Lake Region around Franklin
• Flag Island in Casco Bay
• Grand Lake Stream in Eastern Washington County
• Jasper Beach in Machiasport
• Indian Point in Ellsworth
• Lower Kennebec River Estuary near Merrymeeting Bay
• Mackerel Cove and Skolfield Shores, both in Harpswell
• River-Link Partnership in Newcastle and Edgecomb
• Marshall Island in Jericho Bay
• Mowry Beach in Lubec
• Nicatous and West Lakes
• Pettegrow Beach in Machiasport
• Seward Neck in Lubec
• Pleasant Bay, encompassing lands in Harrington, Addison and Steuben
• Robinson Woods in Cape Elizabeth
• Schoodic Bog in Sullivan
• Thorne Head near Bath
• Tide Mill Farm in Edmunds
• Tinker Island in Blue Hill Bay
• Whaleboat Island in Casco Bay

For more information on these and other LMF projects, visit the Program’s project directory at http://www.maine.gov/spo/lmf/index.htm.

Caring for Conserved Lands: MCHT’s Regional Land Stewards

As Maine Coast Heritage Trust has taken on more lands and easements, its stewardship responsibilities have grown. MCHT now has six land stewards working along the length of Maine’s coast to ensure that its 60 preserves are well managed and its easements are monitored annually.

“We moved to a regional stewardship model so that our staff would be part of the communities we serve and be able to respond quickly as needs arise,” notes Jane Arbuckle, MCHT’s Stewardship Director. “Having regional land stewards has proven more efficient and cost-effective.”

In this and the next Maine Heritage, we’ll introduce you to MCHT’s regional land stewards who help maintain and improve the Trust’s preserves, monitor its easements, and work with local communities and volunteers.

Andy Walsh, Southern Maine

Andy Walsh came to the Trust recently from the Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts where he worked as a regional ecologist—helping develop preserve management plans, conduct plant and bird surveys, initiate habitat restoration projects and control invasive plants. Prior to that role, Andy worked as a wetlands scientist.

Andy is thrilled to be back in Maine (he earned his graduate degree in geology at University of Maine—Orono and did extensive freelance photography here). “It’s wonderful to be working on behalf of this landscape and enjoying the coast with my family,” he says.

In addition to caring for lands in his region, Andy will help coordinate preserve management planning. “Management plans are key to the Trust’s ongoing stewardship and its work toward accreditation,” Andy explains.

Ron Howard, Midcoast

Ron Howard found himself coming full circle when he was hired in 2000 to manage Aldermere Farm (after MCHT received the 136-acre saltwater farm in Rockport through a bequest from Albert H. Chatfield, Jr.). “I had worked at the Farm summers, weekends and holidays through my youth,” he notes, “because my father was Chatfield’s farm manager.”

During college, Ron pronounced he would “never have anything to do with farming again,” and headed off for a 23-year career with Bass Shoes.However, his path then led back to Aldermere Farm where he found that his human resources work experience helped in his farm management duties.

Ron oversees farm operations and public programming, and supports sustainable agriculture through work on numerous regional and statewide boards. He also monitors MCHT’s easements in the area and works closely with those who own hayfields managed by Aldermere Farm.

Tax Incentive Bill Progress

In 2006, Congress approved a bill (originally set to expire December 31, 2007) that expanded federal tax benefits for donating conservation easements. Under this measure, individuals could claim a charitable deduction up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income (up from 30 percent previously), with the remainder eligible to be carried forward up to 15 years (up from 5 previously). Qualifying farmers and ranchers could deduct up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income (if 50 percent or more of their gross income is from farming).

MCHT worked closely with the Land Trust Alliance throughout 2007 to make this bill’s provisions permanent. All four of Maine’s Congressional delegates and more than 170 other members of Congress cosponsored legislation to make the incentives permanent. The Senate Finance Committee, with the help of Maine Senator and Committee member Olympia Snowe, passed conservation easement tax incentive language in September and sent it to the full Senate for their consideration. In response, Senate leadership attached the language to the Farm Bill reauthorization, which they approved in December.

For the conservation tax incentive provisions to become permanent, the House and Senate must iron out differences in their respective Farm Bills and pass a measure the President is willing to sign. The two bodies were scheduled to conference on the Farm Bill in late January. For the latest update visit www.lta.org.

Wanted: A Seaworthy Boat

To assist with island stewardship during upcoming field seasons, MCHT is looking for a seaworthy lobster-boat hull ( 22-26’ long) in good condition with a hardtop and small cabin space. Gifts or bargain sales welcome! Please contact Douglas McMullin at MCHT’s Somesville office (244-5100).

Staff News

Joanne Favreau has joined Maine Coast Heritage Trust as a Staff Accountant in Topsham. She will assist with the annual audit and help meet the Trust's ongoing financial administration needs. Joanne spent the past six years as the finance director at Merriconeag Waldorf School in Freeport.

From MCHT’s Board Chair

Maine Coast Heritage Trust made tremendous progress during 2007 and is well-positioned for a productive 2008. More than 50 land conservation projects were completed this past year (a record for MCHT), including nine entire coastal islands and nearly 20 miles of shoreline. To ensure that all the lands entrusted to our care are managed well, and to deepen our connections to the communities we serve, we’re expanding our regional stewardship work (see page 5). I’m also pleased to report on the continued advancement of the Maine Land Trust Network, which now includes our new Circuit Rider Program launched in the spring of 2007. With one-to-one training assistance, this initiative is helping local land trusts work more sustainably and efficiently—furthering statewide conservation efforts.

In December, the Board named David MacDonald, MCHT’s long-time Director of Land Protection, as interim President while it engages in a national search to find Jay Espy’s successor. We all miss Jay greatly, but the staff and board are both benefiting from David’s experience and wisdom in this transition time. And David is excited to take on this assignment: “It’s an honor to lead the Trust at a time when so much good work is underway with landowners and partners statewide,” he notes. “Our staff and Board are fully committed to realizing many ambitious goals in the coming months.”

We expect to have a new president aboard by summer, and will keep you posted on progress in the next newsletter.

Conserving Family Lands on Great Cranberry Island

A family with roots on Great Cranberry Island dating back to 1886 recently protected nearly 30 acres of land—in their words—“as a tribute to the people who handed it down to us.” The property stretches a half-mile from the large, shallow harbor known as “The Pool” to bold oceanfront on the island’s southern side. In between the wildlife-rich mudflats to the north and the cobble shore at the south are a beautiful array of spruce-fir woodlands and fields. The southern half of the property adjoins 28 acres of private conservation land on which Maine Coast Heritage Trust already holds an easement.

The four siblings who own the property—Malcolm Donald, Peter Donald, Deborah LaMontagne, and Susan Michalski—all shared a strong desire to keep much of their family’s land wild. “Coming from other places and seeing where relentless development can lead, we wanted to make sure that wouldn’t happen here,” says Malcolm Donald. “With the growing cost of maintaining the property and rising taxes, we knew it was time to act. We didn’t want to have to subdivide and develop the land or create a financial burden for our children.” After some discussion with MCHT and a conservation consultant, the family decided to donate an easement to MCHT on 10 acres bordering “The Pool,” and to offer MCHT their 19-acre oceanfront parcel at a small fraction of its appraised value. Proceeds from the sale will go toward maintenance costs and taxes to help keep the property affordable for the next generation.

“Many extended families with shared properties face questions and concerns similar to those of the Donalds—as families grow, buildings age, and maintenance costs and taxes rise,” observes project manager Bob DeForrest. “By taking a creative approach to these challenges, the Donalds were able to set aside some funds to maintain their family place, while preserving the land’s wild beauty, and helping to create a public preserve where others can enjoy a spectacular, oceanfront setting.” From the family’s vantage point, Malcolm Donald says, “this was the best thing for everybody.”

While maintaining the wild character of the property, MCHT plans to extend an existing foot trail through woodlands so that walkers can enjoy the cobble shores and expansive vista along the Island’s southern shore.

President’s Column by Jay Espy

Bidding Farewell

When I joined the staff of Maine Coast Heritage Trust in1985, MCHT was a small organization facing a big challenge. The Trust’s four staff members and its visionary board were contending with an unprecedented real estate boom and rampant land speculation along Maine’s coast. This trend threatened the character of Maine and motivated MCHT to accelerate its land protection efforts. Shortly thereafter, the Trust launched its first capital campaign—securing two wild headlands downeast that were slated to become 35-lot subdivisions. That real estate boom was followed by even greater waves of development, and today land values have soared to heights that were once unimaginable. Fortunately, so have the forces of conservation! In 1985, MCHT had protected 21,000 acres. Now, thanks to the incredible support of countless donors and partners, we’ve secured 125,000 acres (including 270 entire coastal islands). In 1985, Maine had 14 land trusts: today, that number stands at more than 100. MCHT’s leadership and support of local trusts have made it a model for conservationists around the U.S.

It has been a great privilege and joy for me to participate in the growth of MCHT and Maine’s land trust community over the past two decades. At the end of November, I will be leaving the Trust to pursue a different means of supporting Maine land conservation—as the first executive director of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation. Its mission is to support conservation of the natural environment and the well-being of animals and human beings, primarily in Maine.

I know that Maine Coast Heritage Trust will successfully meet the challenges ahead— pioneering new approaches to conservation, establishing and managing accessible natural preserves, and completing ever more ambitious land protection projects. Thanks to each and every one of you for your support over the years and your continuing dedication to the Trust.

A Message from Tom Ireland

MCHT’s Board Chairman

All of us will miss Jay’s steady hand at the helm, his willingness to tackle the impossible (and succeed—time after time!), and his ready sense of humor. His name has become synonymous with Maine Coast Heritage Trust and he leaves the organization a great legacy that will endure for a long, long time.

Jay’s remarkable dedication and leadership over the past two decades has placed MCHT in a strong position to undertake new initiatives, increase its commitment to land stewardship (thanks to the successful Campaign for the Coast), and strengthen its partnerships with Maine’s local land trusts. MCHT’s board, council and staff look forward to these and other opportunities that lie ahead.

The Board has formed a search committee and we are confident—given MCHT’s stellar reputation around the country—that we will be getting many highly qualified applicants. I will report back on our progress in the next issue of Maine Heritage.

Kathryn W. Davis

Celebrating 100 Years of Passion, Wonder and Generosity

Dr. Kathryn W. Davis, a well-known peace advocate, educator and philanthropist, celebrated her 100th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, she joined MCHT’s Richard Rockefeller for a flight—relishing the chance to see more of MCHT’s conservation work in the Mount Desert region from a bird’s-eye view. An aerial tour in a small plane might not appeal to many centenarians, but Dr. Davis’s hallmark is her irrepressible enthusiasm for learning and for the world around her.

Over many decades, Dr. Davis and her late husband, Dr. Shelby Cullom Davis, contributed generously to educational institutions, humanitarian causes and peace initiatives. “I just feel that I’ve been lucky,” Dr. Davis reflected in a recent interview, “and I should give back because I’ve been so lucky.” She and her husband first came to Maine more than six decades ago, after spending time in Europe getting their doctoral degrees. “As a young couple, Shelby and I summered on the Cape with my parents and family,” she recalls. “All very fond memories, but the Cape didn’t have any mountains! Shelby and I agreed that Maine had it all and with far less congestion.”

In the midst of many professional demands, Maine offered the couple a wonderful setting for rest and renewal. “I love Maine’s mountains and its coast, the hiking, the horseback riding, the saltwater swimming, the views and the fabulous sunsets!” Dr. Davis says. “I even enjoy the different kinds of fog, as long as it comes and then goes out again ‘on little cat’s feet.’ And did I mention the lobster picnics?”

In her honor, the Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation has pledged $5 million to Maine Coast Heritage Trust for land conservation in the Mount Desert Island area. This gift in her name is a way for Kathryn Davis to acknowledge her gratitude for the place Maine has played in her family’s life. “Mount Desert Island has been my family center every summer for over 60 years,” she says. “I get to see both of my children, all of my grands and all of my great-grands sometime throughout the summer. I simply love that. It’s great that they ALL love Maine, many of them as much as I do. It keeps them all coming back for more of this wonderful oasis of humanity... my true vacation land.”

Stewardship: Community Trails

While remote and expansive tracts of conserved land hold a value all their own, some of the best-loved coastal treasures are community trails that local residents use routinely for walking, shore access and wildlife-watching. Maine Coast Heritage Trust works on a variety of projects that protect traditional trails and the lands over which they cross.

“Some of our biggest trail projects have involved properties where the public use goes back generations,” explains Jane Arbuckle, MCHT’s Director of Stewardship. “These established trails cross private land that nearly everyone assumed already was conserved. In settings like Long Pond and Hunter’s Beach (in Seal Harbor) and at Schoolhouse Ledge (in Northeast Harbor), we worked with the landowners so that long-standing tradition of public use would continue.”

The future of community trails often hinges on the vision and generosity of private landowners. Fortunately, many of them recognize how important these trails are to local residents and they are willing to sanction continued public use (with a land trust overseeing trail stewardship). For example, two Matinicus island landowners recently donated easements to MCHT that provide for trail access to a beautiful stretch of shoreline where island residents like to walk.

Frenchboro Long Island, where MCHT owns nearly 1,000 acres, has an extensive trail network enjoyed by both island residents and visitors. “There’s 10 miles of hiking trails, some of which extend from Trust land onto adjoining properties,” notes MCHT Regional Steward Terry Towne. “Those landowners graciously permit people to enjoy the trails, helping to maintain an important community tradition.”

Landowners who wish to support traditional trail use can provide that access informally, or can ensure the future of the trail through a trail easement or conservation easement transferred to a land trust. “Often landowners start off with a ‘handshake agreement,’” Arbuckle says, “and later include a provision for trail access if they place a conservation easement on their land.”

In some instances, a land conservation project will open the way to reestablishing a trail that had become closed off or overgrown. On Swan’s Island, a family generously donated to MCHT 25 acres on High Head that allowed the Trust to reopen and extend an old trail. MCHT transferred both properties to the Town, and helped clear the original trail (following blowdowns) so that island residents could enjoy a beautiful ocean vista.

“We always like hearing from people interested in protecting community trails on their land,” Arbuckle says. “And sometimes we approach landowners to discuss trail opportunities.” Even in cases where people aren’t ready to pursue a conservation easement, they still may sign a simple trail license agreement that allows MCHT (or another land trust) to create and maintain a foot trail for public use. “We’ve got several exciting projects underway,” Arbuckle adds, “that will be great community assets when they’re completed.”

Summer Trips Engage MCHT Members

Members and friends of MCHT enjoyed exploring twelve conserved settings along the Maine coast this summer—ranging from the York River to Straight Bay downeast. The diverse array of tours included boat trips (in Merchant Row and downeast), hiking (in Castine’s Witherle Woods and at MCHT’s Frenchboro Preserve), a tour of MCHT’s Aldermere Farm, and an archaeological presentation at Malaga Island.

MCHT offered its first-ever canoe paddle (along Northeast Creek on Mount Desert Island), and quickly added a second trip to accommodate the overwhelming response. Visitors were surprised and delighted to find such a pristine and tranquil setting in the heart of Mount Desert Island. “We had no idea that we had such a gem of an unspoiled estuary here on our island,” one MCHT member observed.

Participants on a Pleasant Bay boat trip downeast enjoyed seeing the marked contrast among the region’s islands—from the low, flat and grassy Nash Island (where participants observed the annual sheep-shearing amid hundreds of seabirds) to the stark and stunning cliffs of Jordan’s Delight. This excursion (co-hosted with Maine Audubon) offered great opportunities to observe seabirds and explore a magnificent area dotted with islands that MCHT and others are working to conserve.

On Malaga Island (off Phippsburg), nearly 30 people were treated to fascinating presentations by students of the University of Southern Maine Archaeology Field School. With Professors Nate Hamilton and Rob Sanford, these students had spent several weeks uncovering artifacts from a community that was forcibly removed by the State almost 100 years ago. The students walked small groups of visitors around several digs, setting the scene, enthusiastically explaining the displays, and answering questions. “The students really transformed a few holes in the ground into a rich story, not just about Malaga, but of their own discovery,” one participant reported.

MCHT extends special thanks to longtime member and naturalist Peter Blanchard who helped guide several of this year’s trips.

Staff News

Deb Chapman is the new, part-time Land Trust Circuit Rider with Maine Land Trust Network (MLTN). She is former president of the Georges River Land Trust and has been involved with MLTN for years, serving most recently as vice-chair of the Steering Committee. Deb also worked as a consultant conducting organizational assessments for local land trusts through the Maine Coast Protection Initiative.

Andy Walsh has joined MCHT as a Regional Steward (based in Topsham). Andy spent the past twelve years with the Trustees of Reservations serving as their Regional Ecologist and Wetlands Specialist in southeastern Massachusetts.

Katherine Birnie, MCHT’s Conservation Innovation Program Manager, is a recent graduate of Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Prior to pursuing an MBA, Katherine worked as a project manager for Peninsula Open Space Trust in the San Francisco Bay area.

Collaborative Conservation Downeast

The rugged and beautiful landscape of downeast coastal Maine defines its communities and its residents—whose lifestyles and livelihoods are bound to the land and sea. For more than two decades, Maine Coast Heritage Trust has worked with communities, landowners and partners to conserve special places along this unique stretch of coast. Protected lands in Cobscook and Pleasant bays provide critical habitat for diverse wildlife and sustain shore access for recreation and harvesting. Preserves along the rugged Bold Coast (which stretches from Cutler to Lubec) offer opportunities to enjoy traditions like hiking and hunting.

Now MCHT is facilitating a collaborative process involving Downeast Rivers Land Trust in Columbia Falls, Great Auk Land Trust (GALT) in Milbridge, and Quoddy Regional Land Trust in Whiting. “We’re glad to be helping these partners discuss their shared goals and explore ways to operate more strategically and sustainably,” says David MacDonald, MCHT’s Director of Land Protection.

With $55,200 from the Land Trust Alliance/Maine Coast Protection Initiative and $21,000 from Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Downeast Land Trust Collaboration recently hired a shared fundraising specialist and began developing a regional conservation plan. “This effort is drawing in new partners as well,” MacDonald notes. “The Washington County Council of Governments and GIS classes at the University of Maine in Machias are helping us prepare the plan.”

MCHT also is collaborating with GALT on its “Summit, Forest & Seacoast” campaign, which seeks to conserve three prime properties around Pleasant Bay that traditionally have been used for hiking, picnicking, fishing and hunting.

With support from the State’s Land for Maine’s Future Program, MCHT recently acquired the first of these properties, Willard Point in Harrington, through a purchase substantially below the land’s appraised value. The 127-acre tract has majestic stands of mature spruce, fir and pine, and 1.5 miles of wild shoreline. Former owner Charles Milmine notes that the land had been in his family since 1911, and “nothing has ever been done to it in that time. Our family has always had a strong conservation ethic, and I inherited that.”

MCHT plans to create a loop trail for hiking and a parking area to make the Willard Point preserve more accessible. MCHT and GALT are seeking financial support for two additional campaign projects, a 117-acre tract atop Pigeon Hill (on the Petit Manan peninsula) and 23-acre Tibbett Island (just off of a town park in Addison). GALT hopes to acquire both these properties by the end of this year.

To keep pace with the heightened interest in land conservation downeast, and to work more closely with its local land trust partners, MCHT has opened a new field office in Columbia Falls staffed by Marty Anderson, who joined MCHT’s land protection staff in April. He and Patrick Watson, MCHT’s project manager downeast for many years, will work as a team to serve partners and landowners in Washington County. “We’re excited to see such strong commitment to the region’s future,” Watson says. “The collaborative efforts underway should bring real benefits to the landscapes and communities downeast.”

President’s Column by Jay Espy

Protecting a Unique Stretch of Coast

Along the Eastern Seaboard, there are few­­—if any—places that remain as wild and unspoiled as Maine’s easternmost coast. The shoreline between Mount Desert Island and the Canadian border holds some of Maine’s most breathtaking scenery and some of its greatest concentrations of wildlife. Dramatic cliffs along the Bold Coast are interspersed with unusual geological formations such as caves, blow holes and arches.

The region’s impressive tidal flats (with tidal ranges averaging 20 feet) and nutrient-rich waters create prime habitat for a great diversity of species —including migratory shorebirds, bald eagles and waterfowl.

This remote stretch of coast holds far fewer people than counties to the south and west. The population in Washington County is roughly equal to that of Lincoln County in the midcoast, yet the land base is five times as large. The 2000 Census reported 13 people per square mile in Washington County, as compared to 317 people per square mile in Cumberland County.

Washington County’s low population has helped keep the natural values of this unique region largely intact. The relentless development pressures working eastward along Maine’s coast have not yet reached peak force here. However, second home development is accelerating, fragmenting formerly unbroken shorelines and making it hard for many residents to keep up with spiraling property values. More than 64 percent of households in Washington County now cannot afford the median home price.

Increasing development can undermine community traditions, closing off informal access to wildlands that generations of residents have enjoyed for hunting, fishing, picnicking and walking. In the 200-plus miles of shoreline from Petit Manan Point to the Addison-Beals town line, only six sites now provide assured access for marine harvesting and recreation. Loss of traditional access sites diminishes the local economy and the quality of life.

Nearly 20 years ago, former MCHT Board member and eighth-generation lobsterman Jasper Cates argued that indiscriminant development along the Bold Coast would hurt both the region’s natural resource-based economy and its community traditions. The force and logic of his argument prompted MCHT to engage in protecting some of downeast Maine’s most stellar landmarks: Western Head, Boot Head and Hamilton Cove.

With the expansion of local land trusts in Washington County over the last decade, more of our projects there have become collaborative efforts—completed in partnership with local conservationists. Now those local trusts are discussing their future visions and finding ways to enhance their capacity for effective land conservation.

The collaborative planning underway in Washington County is part of a broader trend within the land trust movement, in which trusts across the nation are taking steps to ensure that their organizations will remain sound and strong for decades to come. It’s an exciting time for coastal conservation in Washington County, and MCHT is pleased to be part of this local initiative.

Charitable Gift Annuities

Donors who would like to contribute to Maine Coast Heritage Trust while retaining a secure source of income may be interested in creating a charitable gift annuity. Through this simple contract, the donor transfers cash or other assets to the Trust and MCHT agrees to pay the donor a guaranteed fixed amount annually for life (secured by the charitable assets). The donor benefits from steady, predictable payments (without concerns about low stock dividends or fluctuating market performance), and receives a charitable income tax deduction for a portion of the asset value that is transferred.

The amount of each annuity payment MCHT provides depends upon the gift amount and donor’s age. MCHT offers CGAs for a minimum of $25,000, which can be structured to provide income for one or two individuals (who do not need to be related). The accompanying box shows rates for a single-life gift annuity. “For people under age 60, the charitable gift annuity may be less practical, but younger donors can arrange deferred annuities,” explains Development Director Jonathan Labaree. “In that case, MCHT would not start making payments for some period of years. Since the payments are deferred, they end up being higher than if they started right away.” For more information on CGAs, please contact MCHT’s development office at 207-729-7366.

(source: American Council of Gift Annuities, www.acga-web.org)

Stewardship:April Nor’easter

The Nor’easter storm that blew through New England on Patriot’s Day weekend in April left its mark on many coastal preserves—downing trees, flooding shorelines, and adding tasks to the long “to do” lists of MCHT’s regional stewards. With heavy rains, pounding surf and winds gusting up to 81 mph, the storm inflicted extensive damage. All of Maine’s coastal counties were declared federal disaster areas, with York and Cumberland counties hardest hit. Preliminary estimates of damage to public infrastructure stand at $45 million, according to the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Storm damage was aggravated by astronomically high tides, notes Terry Towne, MCHT’s Regional Steward on Mount Desert Island. “The normal tidal range here is 10.6 feet. That day, the astronomical high would have been 13.2 feet, but the storm surge drove it up to 14.5 feet. On Frenchboro Island, for example, the beaches were washed clean but all that marine debris is now 50 feet into the woods.” MCHT had already hired a four-person crew for 20 days to clear trails on Frenchboro Island. Damage from the storm necessitated another four days of work.

The offshore islands were among the hardest hit in the storm, Towne notes. On Marshall Island, the expansive beach at Sand Cove changed dramatically—with the upper quarter of the beach now large cobbles rather than fine sand. Several new sections of trail, Towne observes, “succumbed to storm surge or downed trees.”

Douglas McMullin, who stewards Trust preserves from Castine to Merchant Row, found that “far and away the storm’s epicenter for my region was at Witherle Woods in Castine.” McMullin spent a full day cutting downed trees at one preserve boundary so that neighbors could reach their cars and have power restored to their home. By mid-May, McMullin had already spent more than a week attempting to clean up the Preserve’s primary entrance and several trails. More than 100 trees in the preserve were downed or fell over trails, and several areas were covered by extensive deadfalls. With help from two Maine Maritime Academy volunteers, McMullin strove to make trails passable, but more work remains.

Amidst all the damage, there were a few welcome effects from the storm. Towne notes that the beach at MCHT”s Manset Fields property on Mount Desert Island is greatly improved, with much added sand making it a more appealing site. And at one island preserve, where the wharf on an adjoining property encroached on MCHT land, the storm swept away every trace of that pier. “We had been talking about how to resolve that boundary conflict,” Towne notes wryly, “but I expect the discussion will be very different now.”

2007 Maine Land Conservation Conference

The tenth annual Maine Land Conservation Conference, held May 5 and 6 in Wiscasset and Brunswick, drew 400 conservationists to hear an engaging mix of speakers, workshop presentations and discussions. MCHT is grateful to all those who helped make the conference a resounding success, particularly the lead sponsors L.L. Bean and Eaton Peabody. The two-day event offered much valuable information and inspiration for participants—judging from the positive evaluations that came in at the close of the conference.

Keynote: Meeting the Challenges Ahead

In a thought-provoking keynote address, Darby Bradley—Vermont Land Trust’s Special Assistant for Government and Donor Relations, spoke of how land trusts can serve the public long-term by operating with high standards and maintaining public trust.

Exhorting land trusts to think outside the box, Bradley suggested that “land conservation do more than conserve land.” He cited Vermont’s symbiotic alliance between affordable housing and conservation interests, and the potential for further partnerships with those promoting economic development, sound land use, local foods and place-based education. VLT, in his words, “is becoming an organization in which land is what we do, but building healthy communities is what we’re about.”

Increasingly, land trusts must face the thorny issue of easement amendments, contending with unanticipated changes while enhancing the public benefits of conserved lands. Bradley advocated that trusts view easement amendments as “the exception, not the rule,” and base their decisions on a clear, written policy. The governing motivation, he noted, should always be public interest—not landowner benefits or land trust convenience.

“We have an enormous and growing capacity to serve our communities,” Bradley concluded, “so long as we keep the public interest foremost in our minds, ensure that the public’s investment is protected, and ensure that all members of society will benefit from our work.”

Waste not, Want not

At this year’s conference, MCHT undertook a successful experiment using biodegradable plates, cups, napkins and cutlery. Thanks to new advances in compostable products and a very supportive caterer (Susan Robson, of Sarah’s Café in Wiscasset), 400 conference participants ate and drank off compostables and then threw them into biodegradable trash bags. At the end of the day, MCHT’s receptionist Celeste Black (one of the prime forces behind this “zero-waste” effort) took about 20 of these bags up to Morris Farm in Wiscasset, an organic community farm with a composting operation. Some of the Farm’s sheep and lambs gathered to watch the unloading process, kicking their heels and wiggling their tails. Watching these sheep gathered by a maple tree, Black reflects, “reminded me how we can ALL help close the circle by buying compostable products and treating ‘waste’ as a resource in disguise!”

Staff News

MCHT welcomes four new staff members. Membership Manager Patty Renaud brings development experience from her former work at the Maine Hospice Council and Natural Resources Council of Maine. Marty Anderson, the new project manager in MCHT’s Columbia Falls office, worked previously as Executive Director of Great Auk Land Trust. Kirk Gentalen joins the stewardship team as a part-time regional steward on Vinalhaven.Deborah Chapman works part-time as the Operations Circuit Rider for the Maine Land Trust Network, helping local trusts around Maine build their organizational capacity. Deb formerly served as President of Georges River Land Trust and as Vice President of the MLTN Steering Committee.

In Memoriam: Laura Riley

Longtime MCHT Council Member Laura Riley died in Florida this winter, following a fall. An experienced photographer and journalist, Mrs. Riley and her husband of nearly 50 years, Bill, shared a passion for conservation and coauthored two books–the Guide to the U.S. National Wildlife Refuges and Natures’s Strongholds: The World’s Great Wildlife Reserves. “Laura was one of the most dedicated and talented conservationists I have known,” reflects MCHT President Jay Espy. “She leaves behind a remarkable legacy of appreciation and hope for places still wild—from Maine to Florida and well beyond.”

Tin Smith Receives Land Heritage Award

MCHT awarded its annual Land Heritage Award to Tin Smith, a conservationist and farmer from Wells. Tin was a founder of Great Works Regional Land Trust more than 20 years ago, and has helped spearhead successful regional conservation efforts such as York County’s Coastal Mosaic Project and what evolved into the Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Initiative. He helped create the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and now serves as its Stewardship Coordinator. Tin has served on the Maine Land Trust Network Steering Committee as well. In making the award, MCHT President

Jay Espy called Tin “one of the leading lights for conservation in his region and in Maine.” He praised Tin’s capacity to unite optimism and enthusiasm with thoughtful pragmatism. “Tin is a true leader with a gift for seeing possibility in everything that he takes on,” Espy noted. “He is as far-reaching in his zeal for land protection as anyone I have ever encountered.”

The Basin on Vinalhaven is an unusual landscape feature, a wildlife-rich tidal inlet linked to Penobscot Bay by reversing falls. This unique area stands apart for another reason as well: it is a “whole place” where landowners have drawn together to protect the beautiful embayment their properties encircle. The history of land protection along the Basin shore traces back 20 years and involves many families. Recently, MCHT worked with longtime landowner George “Max” Ross and his wife Ruth Ripnitz to protect their property bordering the Basin, which includes two significant heights of land.

“These two mountains and the adjoining shorefront were key to sustaining the ecological and scenic qualities of place,” explains MCHT project manager Betsy Ham. “We’re so grateful to Max and Ruth for their willingness to work with us and contribute to the collective effort to protect the Basin.”

MCHT purchased 44 acres, including all of Steep Mountain (which abuts the Trust’s Otter Pond Preserve) and land bordering its Basin (Williams) Preserve. In addition, the Trust secured an easement on 59 acres of land encompassing Basin High Mountain, the highest point of land by this inlet—with bare ledges visible from the Basin and surrounding roads and hiking trails. The easement limits future construction to the site of an existing cabin and one modest structure located in the woods.

In total, the Ross projects protect 3,700 feet of Basin shorefrontage, preserving valuable wading bird and waterfowl habitat along with prime roosting and feeding sites for bald eagles. The newly protected land includes a thriving pitch pine community and lies, in part, within the Vinalhaven Water District—helping buffer the Town’s water supply. The Steep Mountain parcel, which offers beautiful views from the summit, will be accessible to the public for low-impact, daytime use.

President’s Column by Jay Espy

Stone Soup

What happens when a landowner invites neighbors to a party and shares with them her vision of place? She doesn’t ask anything of them: she simply talks about her heartfelt desire to keep her own property whole and beautiful. She makes good on her word, donating a conservation easement on her land to protect it in perpetuity.

Before long, other neighbors begin thinking how much nicer the whole area would be if they, too, took some action to protect their properties. Now that someone has demonstrated how this can happen, it becomes easier to follow suit. Every neighbor has different needs, and makes differing contributions, but—year by year—more of them take steps to keep this small corner of the world as nice as they found it.

This account may sound like a familiar parable, but it happens to be true. It’s a story replicated in many places where Maine Coast Heritage Trust works. Invariably, the story begins with one or more individuals willing to take a risk and lead by example. These people catalyze the land protection process through a generous and far-sighted act. They don’t seek recognition nor do they preach about what they have done.

Yet over time, more people come to recognize the goodness of their acts and the promise implicit in replicating them.

Our cover story in this issue, and our previous cover story (on the Bagaduce River Narrows whole place), are vivid examples of this vision-come-true. In each of these settings, a landowner stepped forward to act—trusting that others would join them. With patience and time, this leap of faith was rewarded. What I find amazing, and humbling, in these tales of whole place protection is how one quiet and thoughtful expression of possibility—one invitation to imagine a different future—comes to inspire a remarkable collaborative effort. Each family starts to see that taking action to protect the entire area is the very best way to meet their own needs.

Land conservation projects, especially complex regional ones, are indeed a “soup”—with many cooks, countless ingredients and a recipe that can never be replicated twice. But each new whole place effort reaffirms the age-old wisdom of the Stone Soup fable: how well communities can nourish themselves when they join together, with each member contributing what he or she can.

MCHT Conserves Two Key Islands near Mount Desert Island

Two more island gems off Mt. Desert Island are now protected, thanks to the vision and generosity of their landowners. “Island properties like these are in demand in today’s market,” notes David MacDonald, MCHT’s Director of Land Protection, “and we’re grateful that the owners chose to permanently protect these places. Both islands provide a wealth of public benefits that people can now enjoy into the future.”

Folly Island

Lying at the south end of Bartlett Narrows, along a popular boating route, Folly Island is a hilly, 7-acre knoll that affords beautiful views over Blue Hill Bay. Sylvia Erhart and Julia Coleman, whose grandfather acquired the island in 1943, kept the island wild and allowed those travelling the Maine Island Trail to enjoy daytime use of it. In reviewing their estate plans and their goals for the island’s future, the sisters decided to give the island to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. MCHT will transfer a “forever wild” easement on Folly Island to Acadia National Park as a backup layer of protection, and will continue permitting low-impact, daytime use. (MCHT staff and board were saddened to learn that Julia Coleman passed away in mid-March.)

North Twinnie Island

With the recent acquisition of North Twinnie Island, the Trust completed protection of a three-island archipelago at the gateway to Mount Desert Island (just east of the Thompson Island visitor center). MCHT secured the first island, South Twinnie, in 2001 through a bargain sale (well below the appraised value) and subsequently transferred the property to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. In 2005, a bargain sale offered by former owner Dr. Frank Moya and a National Coastal Wetlands Grant enabled MCHT to purchase 65-acre Thomas Island. Recently, Dr. Moya completed another bargain sale to MCHT of North Twinnie, a wooded, 4-acre island barred to South Twinnie. “South Twinnie is home to a well-established bald eagle nest,” notes MCHT Project Manager Brian Reilly. “Protecting all three islands in this archipelago will help ensure the future success of this nesting site.”

Reducing Estate Taxes through Postmortem Easement Donations

A little known tax rule, Internal Revenue Code Section 2031(c), allows heirs who will inherit natural lands to have the estate donate a conservation easement on the property, potentially lowering the estate tax due. “This rule allows conservation easements to help reduce the land’s value, so heirs who face the prospect of high estate taxes can gain real financial benefits,” explains MCHT’s General Counsel, Karin Marchetti Ponte.

The tax rule allows estates to exclude an additional 40 percent of the value of land subject to a qualified conservation easement (up to a limit of $500,000) from the gross estate, after lowering the estate by the value of the conservation easement itself. “Reducing the estate tax liability this way,” notes Marchetti Ponte, “helps heirs keep land in the family and maintain its traditional use.” Maine Coast Heritage Trust just completed its first project involving this provision since the rules first were enacted in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1998. The estate of Gertrude L. McCue, a Mount Desert summer resident, donated a conservation easement prohibiting future development on 9 acres of scenic fields and blueberry land along Beech Hill Road in Mount Desert. “Our mother wanted these fields to remain open, but due to the challenges of negotiating the details with all interested parties, we unfortunately were unable to finalize the easement during her lifetime,” her son Bill McCue explains. “In settling her estate, we found that donating an easement postmortem made financial sense for us while honoring her wishes for the land. The finite amount of time available to donate the easement and realize its benefits after our mother’s death brought a certain clarity to the situation, which had been lacking when there was no deadline.”

For more information about this option, please contact MCHT at development@mcht.org.

Stewardship: Sharing the Coast with Bald Eagles

Maine now has 414 nesting eagle pairs, half of them along coastal waters. This number represents a remarkable recovery of the species, from a low in Maine of 27 nesting pairs in 1967. Federal and state wildlife agencies lent the bald eagle regulatory protection in 1978 by placing it on a list of “endangered and threatened species.”

This summer, the US Fish & Wildlife Service is expected to “delist” the bald eagle, removing its designation as a “threatened species.” “Within the next year or so, the State will likely follow suit,” says Charlie Todd, wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIF&W). He is quick to add, though, that “regulatory protection has been the eagle’s lifeline over the past few decades, and we’re not walking away from that completely.” Eagles still will receive some protection under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The State also plans to monitor populations closely to make sure that eagle numbers continue to rebound.

A cornerstone of the new management strategy is to encourage more landowners to voluntarily conserve areas that eagles frequent, ideally through use of conservation easements that explicitly protect eagle habitat. More than half of the eagles in Maine today benefit from past land protection projects, many of them involving donated easements. “Private landowners always have taken on an extra role protecting eagles,” Todd observes. “It’s amazing the pride and commitment people take in good stewardship of nest sites. Nearly all of Maine’s eagle nests are on private land, so these stalwart practitioners of conserva tion are really unsung heroes.”

MDIF&W hopes to offer landowners more incentives to help protect—not just individual nesting sites—but the surrounding area where eagles feed and roost and where young might return to nest. “We will be contacting key landowners as part of a collective effort to ensure that eagles can thrive in Maine over the long term,” says Todd. To learn more, contact Charlie Todd (charlie.todd@maine.gov, 207-941-4468).

Keeping a Respectful Distance

Bald eagles build their nests in prominent trees near shorelines so they have ready access to the water and tidal flats to feed on fish, seabirds and waterfowl. Year after year, eagles return to their nests—maintaining some for decades. In coastal Maine, eagles often begin nesting in March and the adults share non-stop care of the 1-3 eggs during five weeks of incubation. Be careful of intrusions at this season: eggs exposed for as little as 10 minutes on a cool day can cause nesting failure.

Eggs typically hatch by early May. Privacy at nests remains important through at least mid-summer. If human disturbance forces eaglets to attempt flight prematurely or drives away the adults guarding them, the young birds can face injury or death.

Eagles may leave a perch or nest if approached within 1,500 feet. If you notice one or two adult eagles circling an area, flapping hard (rather than soaring) and vocalizing, move away quietly. Avoid approaching an eagle on the ground, shore, tidal flat, or ledge: it may be feeding or reluctant to fly because of inexperience or injury. Watch from a safe distance and report suspected problems to MDIF&W (207-941-4468).

Further Information:

• http://www.briloon.org/research/raptor.htm
• http://www.baldeaglecam.blogspot.com
• http://www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/eaglecam.htm
• “Bald Eagles in Coastal Maine,” by Charlie Todd, at http://www.mita.org/eagles.html.

A Tribute to Priscilla deForest Williams

“Priscilla Williams, an early MCHT Director and recent Council member, was a true pioneer of conservation,” reflects MCHT President Jay Espy. “For more than three decades, she was an avid enthusiast of our work.” Mrs. Williams died in December, leaving behind her husband of 65 years, Douglas Williams. Her conservation values and generosity were evident in the huge role she played protecting the Head Harbor archipelago off Great Wass Island. “Priscilla really loved the wild islands and coastline of downeast Maine, and worked hard for four decades to preserve them,” observes David MacDonald, MCHT’s Director of Land Protection. “She donated easements on her own islands in the 1970s and, as recently as the last couple years, she was still actively acquiring and conserving property and encouraging others to do the same.” In addition to her work in Maine, Mrs. Williams was formerly the N.Y. State "Vice Regent" of Mt. Vernon and Past Chair of the Heckscher Museum on Long Island.

Staff and Board News

Maine Coast Heritage Trust welcomes three new members to its board. Dawn Kidd, of Boothbay, served for 14 years as the executive director of the Boothbay Region Land Trust. Kurt Klebe, of Falmouth, is a partner with Verrill Dana, LLP in Portland, and serves as a director or officer on numerous boards throughout southern Maine. Didi Stockly, of Falmouth, is currently a director of Vinalhaven Land Trust, as well as a past director of Falmouth Land Trust.

New staff members, as well, have joined the Trust over the past year. Peg Adams, of Freeport, holds a newly created position as Administrative Assistant to MCHT’s General Counsel and to the Director of Stewardship. Peg’s background as a litigation paralegal, legal secretary and graphic artist qualifies her well for this role.

The Bagaduce River winds in a circuitous route around Brooksville, passing through "the Narrows" before emptying into Penobscot Bay. Bordered by woods and the fields of historic saltwater farms, the Narrows was one of the first places where Maine Coast Heritage Trust began a concerted effort to protect a "whole place" more than two decades ago. ("Whole places" are distinct locations with exceptional natural resources, such as Cobscook Bay and Pleasant Bay, where MCHT has concentrated its land protection efforts.) Seven recent projects (four of them completed in 2006) now protect an additional 1.5 miles of river frontage along the Bagaduce, helping to ensure that this pastoral and ecologically rich area will remain unspoiled.

Though most of MCHT's work in the area has involved assisting landowners with gifts of lands and easements, the unexpected sale of extensive acreage on Tills Point— with eight lots sketched out and soiltested— prompted MCHT to secure the property before it was subdivided. "Funds from the Campaign for the Coast and generous contributions from Trust supporters in Penobscot and Castine enabled us to close on this purchase," notes MCHT project manager Ciona Ulbrich.

In addition to the Till's Point project, four landowners near the Narrows have granted conservation easements providing generous setbacks from the water in which no future building will occur. These easements complement 10 additional projects completed in the vicinity of the Narrows since MCHT and local trusts began work in the area. "It's unusual to find this kind of collective vision," Ulbrich notes, "in which so many shorefront owners deeply appreciate the value of conservation and generously do their part to protect the greater whole."

President's Column by Jay Espy

True Leadership

In November, following the celebratory close of MCHT's Campaign for the Coast, Richard Rockefeller stepped down from our board. Richard's devotion to the Trust, which had a deep family rooting, grew stronger with each passing year—as he dedicated more of his great intellect and initiative to precedent-setting conservation efforts in Maine.

Thirty years after his mother Peggy helped found MCHT, Richard took her legacy of passion and vision to a whole new level. In 2000, he challenged the organization to launch a $100 million campaign, and offered to chair this extremely ambitious effort. His proposal met initially with many raised eyebrows around the MCHT Board table. Richard pointed out that we had a moral obligation to do all we could to protect the irreplaceable character of this coast before it was too late. Mounting threats required bold action. He persuaded his colleagues and began his role as one of the boldest conservation leaders Maine has ever known.

Few people who saw Richard at work during the Campaign for the Coast would ever have guessed that when he came onto the MCHT board 17 years ago, he did so with one explicit condition. He indicated that he would not be involved in fundraising. It wasn't something he enjoyed, he told me at the time, nor did he consider himself particularly skilled at it. Fortunately for all of us who love Maine's coast, by the launch of the Campaign, Richard had found that it gave him great satisfaction to meet and engage people who cared as much as he did about Maine's coast.

By sharing his passion for the coast, Richard inspired many others to join in the effort. He encouraged supporters to contribute by explaining his own reason for taking a leadership role—both as a major contributor to the Campaign and as its Chair. Gifts invested in MCHT, he noted, would leverage far more coastal conservation than if each donor worked in isolation. Richard's contributions to MCHT and Maine went well beyond his commitment to the Campaign for the Coast. As Board Chair and, previously, as Chair of our Lands Committee, Richard brought remarkable wisdom, creativity and clarity to every decision.

We are immensely grateful to Richard for carrying us through such important years. In every area and at every turn, he steered a true course. There is a kind of magic that surrounds great leadership and MCHT certainly had many magic moments with Richard at the helm. Luckily for MCHT, he will continue to assist the Trust as a member of our Council.

MCHT is fortunate to welcome a new chair of exceptional caliber, Tom Ireland, who has served on the Trust's board for 15 years. Tom is a proven leader with a keen understanding of the complex issues facing the land conservation movement, and a lifelong connection to the Maine coast. His collaborative, problem-solving approach will continue a proud tradition at MCHT. Tom is a partner at the private equity investment firm of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. He and his family have deep roots in the Pemaquid region, and they have widely explored the Maine coast and islands from Kittery to Lubec.

Preserving a Tribal Legacy in Machias Bay

With help from Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Passamaquoddy Tribe recently reclaimed a sacred site where they have gathered for more than 3,000 years. This historical site, known as Picture Rocks, lies on the shores of Machias Bay in an area where MCHT has done extensive conservation work. Etched into the site's shale ledges are hundreds of petroglyphs that depict the story of the Passamaquoddy's early ancestors. The images reveal animals, tribespeople and shaman figures. When MCHT transferred the property to the Passamaquoddy, the tribe's historic preservation officer Donald Soctomah spoke of how "our life stories are on those rocks. There is something very spiritual about the petroglyphs and about this land. We look forward to educating tribal children and the public about this important historical site, and protecting it for future generations."

"The Picture Rocks site holds the largest known concentration of petroglyphs on the Eastern seaboard," notes Mark Hedden, archaeological consultant to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. "We were concerned that if this land got developed one day, we might lose this important link to the past."

Following three years of negotiations, MCHT purchased the 5.5-acre Picture Rocks parcel from supportive private landowners, Ann and Peter Gommers, and then gave the land to the Passamaquoddy Tribe. In exchange, the Passamaquoddy donated a conservation easement to MCHT on 300 acres bordering Moose Snare Cove in Little Kennebec Bay, a beautiful and wildlife-rich embayment that the Trust has worked to preserve as a "whole place." The easement (which allows for traditional uses such as forestry and blueberry harvesting but prohibits future development) expands to more than 1,000 acres the protected lands in this ecologically sensitive area. Patrick Watson, MCHT project manager, notes that the arrangement worked out well for everyone: "I feel fortunate to have worked so closely with Donald and the Tribe on a project that returns a sacred place to the Passamaquoddy, while also conserving Moose Snare Cove. The Passamaquoddy Tribal Council deserves great credit for their vision and support in making this happen."

Representatives from the tribe, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, University of Maine at Machias, MCHT, and the local community have established a committee (named Malusah'ekan, Passamaquoddy for "Picture Rocks on the Shore") that is working to protect other petroglyph sites in the area. The success of the Picture Rocks project may help catalyze preservation of other historic sites nearby.

MCHT Helps to Conserve Gateway to Deer Isle

Crossing the long causeway that leads to Deer Isle, drivers look at a property that has a notable role in the island's history. The open meadow of this former saltwater farm looks much as it did a century ago, when the ferry to the mainland docked on its shore. The ferry began service in 1792, using rowboats and later steamships, and continued operation until the bridge to Little Deer Isle was built. The fields above the historic ferry landing, which were continuously farmed for generations, are now owned by Island Heritage Trust (IHT) through a transaction that Maine Coast Heritage Trust and its supporters helped to facilitate.

The collaborative efforts to protect this part of the Deer Isle gateway, known as Scott's Landing, began when the land was first listed on the open market four years ago. MCHT helped mentor IHT as it launched an ambitious campaign to protect 5 parcels around the island's gateway, with Scott's Landing as the keystone property. "Throughout the Campaign for the Gateway," says Mac Herrling, Executive Director of IHT, "MCHT staff members Ciona Ulbrich and Warren Whitney provided invaluable guidance. The support of MCHT was crucial in helping a small land trust like IHT negotiate this complicated deal."

Well into IHT's campaign, several anonymous donors approached MCHT and offered to help MCHT purchase the property to ensure its protection. "These individuals have close ties to Deer Isle and knew what this property meant to the place," says Ciona Ulbrich, MCHT's project manager. MCHT acquired the 22-acre parcel the very next week from landowners Nathan and Ellen Pitts.

To help provide a stewardship endowment for the Scott's Landing property, MCHT surveyed out a 2-acre house lot near the road where a house had formally been (septic, driveway and power were still in place). Sale of this house lot (with deed restrictions) generated an ample endowment and helped to assuage concerns about lost property taxes.

MCHT recently transferred the title to Scott's Landing to IHT, which will manage it as a public preserve. As part of the transfer, MCHT retained a conservation easement on the property that ensures the land will remain undeveloped, undivided and open for appropriate public use. IHT plans to create both walking trails and water access. If permits are granted, the local trust will build a small parking area off Route 15 to provide visitors with easy access to the preserve. IHT also hopes to have school classes visit the property to learn about its long history of settlement and its Native American shell midden. "This site was an important place for Indians for three thousand years," notes local historian Bill Haviland, "and when English settlers came in, it's where Deer Isle—as we know it—began, so it is great to have it preserved."

Stewardship: Tracking Bird Dynamics on Maine Islands

Last summer, Maine Coast Heritage Trust launched pioneering bird research on twelve of its island properties, ranging from Casco Bay to Pleasant Bay. "One of our greatest challenges in taking care of islands is not knowing enough about their natural communities and what they need to flourish," explains Jane Arbuckle, MCHT's Director of Stewardship. "This project will help us gather the scientific data we need to make sound stewardship decisions."

MCHT hired a consulting ornithologist to begin a multi-year study of interactions between sheep and seabirds at four islands off Addison that have traditionally been grazed: Nash Island, Big Nash Island (which is privately owned), Flat Island and the Ladle. Learning more about those dynamics will help inform MCHT's future management decisions and should be helpful to owners of other islands where sheep and seabirds coexist.

During the 2006 season, all of these island colonies had low productivity due to an extended stretch of rain and foggy weather early in the nesting season. Despite the poor weather, MCHT obtained valuable baseline data and made some surprising discoveries.

While looking for evidence of how sheep might be disrupting nesting seabirds, the ornithologist found the opposite dynamic at work: great blackbacked gulls killed off at least 2 ewes and 8 lambs, as well as preying on the nests of eiders, herring gulls and cormorants. According to area residents, this predation of sheep began only a few years ago and is growing worse (as more gulls observe and adopt the practice). The sheep are accustomed to the gulls, having lived alongside them for years, which makes them especially vulnerable to this new predation.

Researchers did not observe any sheep actively disturbing nesting birds (even inadvertently—through stepping on eggs). However, the presence of sheep does reduce nesting habitat for common eiders, and the grazed vegetation makes their nests more visible and hence more vulnerable. Daily visits by bald eagles also took their toll on eider hens and gull chicks.

MCHT has another study underway to determine patterns of bird life on Maine islands. MCHT hired researchers from the BioDiversity Research Institute to work on Marshall, Malaga and seven islands in Merchant Row–creating a predictive model of what bird life might occur based on an island's size and configuration. Initial data indicate that most songbird species avoid the ocean/island edge, with population densities increasing as one moves into the island interior. Wooded wetlands had both the greatest density and diversity of birds, with open headlands and shrublands having markedly fewer birds. Researchers found that the diversity of birds roughly doubled with each tenfold increase in acreage, and that an island's degree of isolation had no apparent effect on bird distribution.

These initial bird surveys are laying the groundwork for future studies assessing human impacts on island bird populations. "Research in other settings has demonstrated that the presence of humans can affect both species diversity and density," Arbuckle notes, "but little work has been done in the Northeast to determine how public recreational use of islands affects migratory species such as warblers. We look forward to seeing what the coming seasons reveal. Our findings will help us shape stewardship policies and practices for years to come."

Aldermere Farm Receives a Bequest

Maine Coast Heritage Trust recently received its first planned gift dedicated to Aldermere Farm since the property came to MCHT in 1999 from the estate of Mr. Albert Chatfield. Patricia Cornell, a Camden resident and active civic volunteer, named MCHT in her will—graciously leaving a portion of her estate for the Farm's use.

Planned giving offers donors a meaningful way to support Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Individuals can make bequests or provide for MCHT with a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust—both of which offer the donor flexible life-income benefits. Donors also may choose to name MCHT as the beneficiary of life insurance policies or qualified pension plans. Please contact our development office (207-729-7366) to learn more about planned giving options.

New Conservation Tax Incentives

The familiar adage that one can "do well by doing good" now has added meaning: Congress recently approved expanded federal income tax deductions for conservation easements donated in 2006 and 2007. Individual taxpayers can now claim a charitable deduction up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income (up from 30 percent previously), with the remainder eligible to be carried forward for up to 15 years (increased from 5 previously). Easement donors who previously could not have deducted the full value of their gifts will be able to deduct more of that value over a longer time period, and will not lose these benefits simply because their income level is modest.

The benefits are even greater for farmers who can deduct up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income (if 50 percent or more of their gross income comes from farming).

The reforms also raise standards for appraisals of all donated property (worth $5,000 or more) and set higher penalties for appraisers and donors who engage in a "substantial" or "gross" misstatement of value.

If you are considering placing a conservation easement on your land and would like to learn more about these new provisions, please contact MCHT's land protection staff.

Gary C. Comer, 1927-2006

Gary Comer, a Council member and former director of MCHT, died last October in his hometown of Chicago. Gary was the founder of the Lands' End mail-order apparel company and an avid sailor who loved the ocean and spent time exploring some of the world's most remote marine environments. Knowledge gained from these excursions fueled his deep concern about global climate change, especially its impact on fragile polar ice packs, ice caps and glaciers. For the past decade, Gary was a leading sponsor of global warming research worldwide.

"Gary was one of the most creative, strategic and solutions-oriented people I've ever known," reflects Jay Espy, MCHT President. "He led our strategic planning process in the mid-1990s, helping to position the organization for its recent success. His knack for seeing beyond the horizon and his gift for encouraging the best from those around him had a profound influence on MCHT."

Campaign Totals

• 194 CONSERVATION PROJECTS COMPLETED
• 14,646 ACRES (including more than 11,000 acres allowing public access)
• 125 MILES OF SHORELINE
• 56 ENTIRE COASTAL ISLANDS (including 14 seabird-nesting islands)
• 20 EAGLE-NESTING SITES

MCHT’s Campaign for the Coast surpassed its target, raising more than $102 million dollars to complete 194 projects to date. “The Campaign has been a tremendous success—not only in securing the future of stellar coastal properties,” notes MCHT President Jay Espy, “but in building partnerships and leveraging greater support for land protection and stewardship.” Campaign funds are already hard at work. Thus far through its Campaign for the Coast, MCHT has conserved lands valued at $77 million with a cash outlay of $24 million—thanks to additional matching funds, and land donations.

Among the 957 contributors to the Campaign, most were first-time donors. “We had 610 new donors,” reflects Jonathan Labaree, MCHT’s Development Director. “People from all walks of life, hailing from 42 different states, stepped forward— seeking to preserve the special character of Maine’s coast.”

MCHT extends heartfelt thanks to all the donors, volunteers and partners who helped make the Campaign for the Coast a resounding success.

President’s Column by Jay Espy

Bountiful Support

When MCHT announced its Campaign for the Coast five years ago, a lot of eyebrows went up. Supporters acknowledged that the Trust needed $100 million to facilitate more land protection—given rising land values and increased development pressure—but thought the goal was terribly ambitious. Detractors were less charitable, considering the Trust hare-brained to set its sights so high. We were convinced, though, that people shared our desire to keep Maine’s coast distinct and accessible, and would help us meet our audacious goal.

Our timing, as it turned out, did not help move us toward our lofty vision. Shortly after we announced our campaign launch, the U.S. economy and financial markets stalled. There were other submerged ledges that we struck, but we always rallied—thanks in large measure to our devoted friends, our indomitable Campaign Chairman Richard Rockefeller, and the incredible donors we met. People opened their homes to us, spoke to their friends on our behalf, and in countless ways served as ambassadors for the Trust—helping us find kindred spirits who shared our vision of protecting Maine’s renowned coast.

Our job was made easy because people wanted to give generously, whatever their means. One woman sent in a check for $5, indicating that she hoped to spare that much each month from her limited budget during the course of the Campaign. The amount was small, she acknowledged, but the feeling behind it was so large. Another donor, upon hearing about our Campaign vision, exclaimed “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for something like this!” He committed $5 million on the spot.

For me, the journey taken and the people met during the course of this Campaign have been as gratifying and inspiring as the lands protected. Throughout, I’ve been reminded of how lucky we are at Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Not only are we privileged to steward one of the world’s greatest coastlines, but we are blessed with incredibly thoughtful and generous supporters. We offer heartfelt thanks to Campaign partners and donors for all you’ve done for MCHT and for Maine. You have given us the tools and inspiration to create a remarkable and lasting natural legacy along this coast.

Project Highlights

Much of what makes the coast of Maine so appealing is the diversity of habitats and land types that characterize its islands, peninsulas, headlands, hills and river valleys. The Campaign for the Coast sought to protect stellar properties that reflect this natural diversity—from productive farmland and working waterfronts to open hilltops and granite-rimmed islands. The 194 properties protected to date span the length of Maine’s coast, from the Isles of Shoals at the New Hampshire border to the Cobscook Bay far downeast. The projects involved varied means of conservation, from donated and purchased conservation easements to “bargain sales” (lands sold well below their market value) and outright gifts. Maine Coast Heritage Trust will continue its selective and strategic approach to allocating Campaign funds in the coming months. The following examples highlight a few of the many gems protected through Campaign contributions.

Beech Hill, Rockport

Follow the walking trail up Beech Hill in Rockport and you can enjoy views that spiral out in every direction— from the nearby Camden Hills to Monhegan and Matinicus islands far offshore. This open hilltop, with its productive blueberry barrens and expanse of meadows, draws area residents and visitors for walking, picnicking and an annual “pick your own” blueberry harvest. The 295-acre preserve, now owned and managed by Coastal Mountains Land Trust, was protected through the collective efforts of MCHT, Coastal Mountains, conservation-minded landowners, the MBNA Foundation and the State’s Land for Maine’s Future Program. “MCHT recognized the value of this property two decades ago,” says Coastal Mountains Director Scott Dickerson, “and took the lead in negotiating its protection while our local trust was forming.” MCHT secured the hill’s summit through a purchase well below the land’s market value in 2001, and later transferred the title to Coastal Mountains Land Trust for long-term management.

Pinkham Island, Milbridge

Using funds from a federal North American Waterfowl Conservation Act grant to match its Campaign Funds, Maine Coast Heritage Trust acquired an 80-acre island in Back Bay—a setting that provides prime habitat for wading shorebirds and waterfowl. MCHT acquired Pinkham Island at a “bargain sale” price from the previous owners who had bought out a 15-houselot subdivision slated for the island and kept Pinkham intact during their 8 years of ownership. Lying within the Pleasant Bay whole place, the undeveloped island is considered nationally significant by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for its wildlife values, including an active bald eagle nest. The island’s former owners donated to MCHT two properties in the vicinity: a 1.5-acre island and a 52-acre shorefront parcel on the Beaver Meadow Brook salt marsh.

Stone Barn Farm, Bar Harbor

The best known farm in Bar Harbor’s rural Emery District lies along Northeast Creek, Mount Desert Island’s largest estuary. Stone Barn Farm’s 128 acres of unbroken fields, forests and marshlands help protect the pristine quality of the creek, a sensitive habitat that supports diverse wildlife. The long-time farm owners, a retired schoolteacher and nurse, wanted to remain on their land and have it continue as a natural oasis and beloved community landmark. Inheritance taxes, they knew, could force the farm’s sale—potentially resulting in up to 42 houselots on the site. By working with MCHT, the owners were able to prevent future subdivision or development by placing a conservation easement on their farm. Now the ecological and scenic qualities of their exceptional property will remain intact. “I’ve always felt I was put on earth to protect this land,” owner Harry Owens observed at the time of the easement signing. “Maine Coast Heritage Trust became the tool that will keep these fields and woods green long after I am gone.” Protection of Stone Barn Farm in 2001 helped spur conservation of two other farm projects in the Northeast Creek watershed, both of which were also made possible by the Campaign.

Malaga Island, Phippsburg

Just off the village of Sebasco lies a 41-acre island, most of which has never been cleared in recorded history. Malaga Island’s old growth woods, with tall stands of red spruce and pitch pine, give it a wild and untouched air—despite its proximity to the mainland. Through the generosity of its former owner, Maine Coast Heritage Trust was able to purchase Malaga for a price well below its market value. MCHT will create trails for visitors to enjoy while continuing to permit local fishermen to store their traps on the island—an important traditional use since shorefront available to them in Phippsburg is limited. The Trust is also collaborating with historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists who are studying the island’s historic settlement, a mixedrace community that made its home on Malaga for decades before being evicted unjustly by the State in 1912.

Campaign Perspectives

by Richard Rockefeller, Campaign for the Coast Chairman

At the time Maine Coast Heritage Trust began the Campaign for the Coast five years ago, much conservation effort and media attention was focused on Maine’s North Woods. Watching those efforts persuaded us that Maine’s fragile coast—with its even greater development pressures and skyrocketing land values—was experiencing equally great conservation needs.

Now that the Campaign is successfully completed, we are happy and honored to join Maine’s century-long tradition of people coming together to protect the lands they love. Following Governor Percival Baxter’s work in the North Woods, George Dorr’s efforts on Mount Desert Island, and the tireless work of volunteers in 100 land trusts around Maine, the Campaign for the Coast demonstrates once again what people can accomplish on behalf of place. I know that if my mother, Peggy Rockefeller (who cofounded Maine Coast Heritage Trust 36 years ago), were alive today, she would be as proud of this achievement as we are.

One aim of the Campaign, and one of its successes, has been to gain national recognition for the uniqueness of Maine’s coastline and to highlight the importance of conserving its ecological diversity, beauty, recreational opportunity and economic vitality. We have remained ever mindful of how important environmental health is to economic well-being and, conversely, how the cherished character of Maine’s coast includes a diverse economy. Our work going forward will continue to ensure that the Coast retains its cultural as well as natural integrity, and that those who depend on its shores have adequate access.

Reaching the ambitious $100 million target that we set five years ago is a major achievement. A still greater accomplishment will be protection and stewardship of the land: a work in progress, which the generosity of our many donors makes possible. It is so gratifying to visit properties secured through this Campaign and know that these natural treasures will remain as they are for our children’s grandchildren to enjoy. Thanks to each of you who lent your support to this effort. I am confident that the momentum recently gained will sustain our work for many years to come.

Major Grant Funds Habitat Protection Downeast

Through the efforts of the Maine Wetlands Protection Coalition and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, MCHT and Great Auk Land Trust recently received a second grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act program. The $950,000 grant will support the protection of more than 600 acres of upland and wetland habitat surrounding Pleasant Bay downeast. The acreage being conserved provides valuable habitat for migratory and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and rare and endangered species. This federal grant will enhance MCHT’s ongoing efforts to protect Pleasant and Narraguagus Bays, recognizing their ecological significance as a “whole place.”

In Memoriam

MCHT staff and board will greatly miss longtime board and council member John M. Robinson, who passed away in July. A native of Portland, John was the former head of C.H. Robinson Paper Company and an active civic leader—serving on many area boards. He was an avid yachtsman as well, and joined in numerous ocean races. On the board of MCHT for 27 years, John chaired numerous committees and served as Treasurer. “John always had a steady hand on the wheel,” MCHT President Jay Espy reflects. “He helped us chart a sound course as the organization grew and engaged in more complex land transactions.” In addition to his decades of service to MCHT, John generously enabled the protection of Robinson Woods, an 83-acre woodland with shorefrontage and public trails in Cape Elizabeth.

Of the 85 miles of downeast coastline that lie within the Town of Machiasport, the best known stretch may be Jasper Beach. This crescent of fine red cobbles, framed by rugged headlands, offers views out to the islands of Machias Bay.

Local efforts in the 1970s led to creation of a town park at Jasper Beach that has long provided public shore access. However, few people realized that the town owned only a narrow stretch of waterfront, and that most of Jasper Beach was privately held and could be developed. When a 30-acre parcel with much of the beachfront that the public enjoys went on the market last year, area residents worried about changes to their favorite beach.

Recognizing this threat to traditional community access, Maine Coast Heritage Trust approached the sellers to explore a conservation solution. Fortunately, long-time owners Clinton and Carol Fuller were open to selling the land for below its market value. Working with the Town, MCHT sought project funding from the State’s Land for Maine’s Future Board. This spring, the LMF Board awarded a generous $366,000 grant toward the purchase, allowing MCHT to finalize an agreement with the Fullers and transfer the beach property to the Town in the future. “We strongly support this project,” commented Phil Rose, Machiasport Selectman, “for Jasper Beach is a major local attraction. We welcome opportunities to gain more public access and keep more shore land undeveloped.”

At its May meeting, the LMF Board also recommended a major grant supporting MCHT’s work with Great Auk Land Trust (GALT) to increase recreational access around Pleasant Bay. The $586,000 awarded by LMF will support efforts to acquire three outstanding sites where people can enjoy hiking, picnicking and hunting along the shores of the bay. Among the properties MCHT hopes to acquire in partnership with GALT are a peninsula in Harrington; a wild island in Addison; and a prominent coastal mountain in Steuben. As with the Jasper Beach project, municipal officials are strong proponents of the work: “Properties that the locals have traditionally used for recreation and shore access are being lost at an alarming rate,” wrote one local selectman. “It’s very important that these lands be preserved for public use.”

President’s Column by Jay Espy

Public Funding is Critical to Successful Conservation

Our cover story on Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) projects downeast demonstrates the essential role that public funding plays in supporting land conservation. Since the LMF Program was first funded by a public land bond in 1987, it has helped conserve a remarkable array of natural gems—from the Rangeley Lakes and the Cutler Bold Coast to Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s Marshall Island. Subsequent LMF bonds, in 1999 and 2005, received overwhelming support from voters in every county. Clearly, the people of Maine cherish the state’s natural heritage and view land protection as a sound investment in our future.

State and federal funding have helped MCHT accomplish ambitious land protection goals in the Campaign for the Coast, and our new strategic plan highlights the continued importance of such public funding. The future of public funding for conservation is uncertain, however, given significant declines in federal and state funding sources.

Given these trends, Maine needs to begin exploring creative new ways for government to participate in financing land conservation. We might consider adapting models from elsewhere around the country—such as the use of conservation tax credits that encourage individuals and businesses to permanently conserve their properties. In some states, these credits have an added benefit over federal tax deductions in that they can be traded or sold to other parties. The State of New Jersey offers an incentive for municipalities to adopt local option taxes by providing matching funds to communities that apply a local tax supporting land protection. In other regions, conservation receives funding from dedicated revenues (such as development impact fees or revenues from real estate transfers).

Some Maine towns already have begun to generate public funds for local conservation efforts. Several communities have approved local land bonds, and at least one town is applying current use tax penalties to a dedicated land fund. Many municipalities now realize that land protection is not simply a discretionary tax expenditure but an essential investment in community infrastructure—helping to sustain recreational traditions, protect natural resources and wildlife habitat, stimulate the local economy, and make communities more appealing to residents and visitors.

Enacting conservation financing measures can be challenging, particularly in a time of budgetary belt- tightening. Maine must take this initiative, though: with each year that passes, the costs of land conservation rise and the opportunities for significant protection diminish. Mainers have demonstrated their commitment to fund further protection through three land bonds spanning nearly 20 years. Now, that commitment must extend to new and expanded means of financing conservation.

Public funding for conservation is not a topic that stirs the heart, admittedly, but it just may be one of the essential tools needed to save this remarkable place we call Maine. And that vision certainly stirs my heart.

Stewardship in the Field:

Halting the Spread of Invasive Plants

Many landowners, both families and conservation organizations, are facing a new management challenge—controlling the spread of aggressive introduced plants that can disrupt natural ecosystems. Roughly a third of the vascular plant species found in Maine are not native, but only a fraction of these are classified as invasive (meaning they reproduce rapidly and can overtake large areas, causing environmental and economic damage).

“Invasive plants are hard to eradicate,” notes MCHT’s Stewardship Director, Jane Arbuckle. “Some can be uprooted early on, or cut back repeatedly over a season, but it takes constant vigilance to keep the population from spreading.” Invasive plants are particularly common where soils have been disturbed but, due to transport of seed by wind and wildlife, they can show up even on protected properties. “Maine is in better shape than many states to the south of us,” Arbuckle says, “but several invasives are moving northward and are showing up on MCHT preserves.”

The following five species are becoming more common on Maine lands: keep an eye out for them!

Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculata): This vine rapidly twines around other vegetation, strangling tree and shrub stems and shading out other plants. People often use its yellow fruit casings and bright red berries in decorative wreaths and flower arrangements, inadvertently hastening its spread. Birds also disperse the berries.

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica): also known as Mexican bamboo, forms dense thickets up to 9 feet high that shade out surrounding plants. Knotweed spreads through underground rhizomes, making it difficult to remove. It is common in moist, open areas such as riverbanks and in disturbed soils.

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii): This shrub, often used as an ornamental in landscaping, commonly appears in old fields and second-growth forests, its bright red berries transported by birds. With its rapid growth of spiny branches, barberry can readily crowd out native understory plants.

Non-native Honeysuckle species (Lonicera genus): There are several invasive varieties of honeysuckle: the trailing Japanese vine and the shrub varieties Morrow and Tartarian. The trailing woody vine can grow up to 30 feet, girdling the stems of other plants and shading them out. The shrubs, common in former farmfields and forest edge areas, quickly overshadow many native species.

Common and Glossy Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus): These shrubby trees grow up to 20 feet, forming dense, even-aged thickets in wetlands and woodland understories. Birds and mammals readily disperse their red fruit.

What You Can Do to Help

• Educate yourself about problematic species and do not buy ornamental or landscaping plants that are invasive. Just because your local nursery or home improvement stocks a particular species, don’t assume that it is safe to plant. Read the brochure “Gardening to Conserve Maine’s Native Landscape: Plants to Use and Plants to Avoid” (online at www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/2500.htm or request a hard copy by contacting the Maine Natural Areas Program at 207-287-8044 or toni.pied@maine.gov).
• Do not bring plants into Maine from elsewhere, and be careful not to transport plant materials inadvertently on boat trailers, outboards and anchors. Invasive aquatics (see web link below) are threatening the health of Maine’s rivers and lakes.
• If invasives have already become established on your property, review the factsheets on the Maine Natural Areas Program website (see link below) to learn about control measures.

For More Information:

The Maine Natural Areas Program (www.mainenaturalareas.org) has factsheets to help in the identification and control of the most prevalent invasives.

The New England Wildflower Society (www.newfs.org) has a list of “Alternatives to Invasive Species” for those seeking less problematic landscaping varieties.

Information on freshwater aquatic spcies is provided by the State at http://www.state.me.us/ifw/wildlife/milfoil.htm. To learn more about marine invasive species, visit the website http://massbay.mit.edu/exoticspecies/index.html.

Strengthening Existing Conservation Easements

As the land conservation movement has matured, so has the language employed in conservation easements. Easements are voluntary agreements that allow landowners to preserve ecological and scenic features of their property while retaining ownership. “Easements drafted today reflect the extensive knowledge we’ve gained about conservation standards and stewardship,” notes David MacDonald, MCHT’s Director of Land Protection. “We’re continually revising easement language to provide greater clarity for the landowner and better protection of the land’s public benefits.”

Some landowners have begun approaching MCHT to explore how they might strengthen their existing easements. Recently, for example, the Faunce family worked with the Trust to better protect Monroe Island, their 225-acre property off Owls Head. The original 1973 easement, held by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, allowed for five houses and five docks distributed around the island—a level of development the family no longer considered pursuing. While existing easements usually are amended, in this case it was simpler for the family to donate a second, more restrictive easement to MCHT overlaying the old one. The new easement sites all future development within a single 2-acre building envelope set back more than 300 feet from the shore. “Clustering potential development in one small area ensures that 223 acres of the island will remain undisturbed,” notes MCHT Project Manager Betsy Ham, “protecting wildlife habitat and preserving beautiful views from Owls Head Light State Park and the Vinalhaven and North Haven ferry routes.”

The decision to strengthen an existing easement may be prompted by the impending sale or transfer of property, as was the case with a recent project on Deer Isle. Ten years ago, landowners Stan and Peg Myers donated a conservation easement on their 34-acre shorefront property in Stonington to Island Heritage Trust. Having volunteered with the local land trust and monitored easements, the Myers realized that it would be helpful to tighten and clarify easement restrictions on the portion of the property they were planning to sell. “This amendment eliminated one subdivision right, further limited the reserved building rights, and clarified restrictions,” notes MCHT Project Manager Ciona Ulbrich, who worked with the Myers, “making it easier for the land trust to monitor the property and communicate with landowners over time.”

Amending a conservation easement can be a fairly easy process in cases where the landowner wants to make a simple change, such as extinguishing allowed building rights or bringing the easement into compliance with federal requirements to allow for additional estate tax incentives. If owners seek a substantial change, though, the process may become as involved as a new easement (and may require legal and appraisal services). “For the amendment process to be worthwhile—for the landowner and the land trust, there must be conservation gains that clearly benefit the public,” notes MacDonald. “Then the landowner may be able to recoup some of the transaction costs through a reduction in estate taxes, additional income tax deductions and possibly reduced property taxes.”

If you would like to strengthen existing conservation restrictions on a property under easement, please contact MCHT staff to discuss whether an easement amendment might be worth pursuing.

Land Heritage Award Winner

At the Maine Land Conservation Conference in May, MCHT presented its annual Land Heritage award to Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust (RLHT), a regional trust that has helped to conserve more than 12,000 acres—including 40 miles of lake and river frontage—in its first 15 years of operation. As he made the award, MCHT President Jay Espy noted that “RLHT has had a tremendous positive impact, not only on the landscape, but also on the economic health and community traditions in the remote corner of Maine that it serves.” RLHT serves as a model of community involvement—coordinating a regional water quality and invasive plant program, and sponsoring a grant-supported environmental education and outdoor recreation program.

Accreditation Update

Last year, land trusts around the country helped design a new voluntary accreditation program to foster public confidence in conservation work, help ensure long-term land protection, and recognize those trusts that have implemented high standards and practices. MCHT’s Director of Land Protection David MacDonald recently was appointed to a 13-member national board that will oversee this new Land Trust Accreditation Commission, which is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.

In its first year, the Commission will develop policies to provide a fair and thorough review of applications and procedures for granting a seal of accreditation to successful applicants. Pilot tests of the new accreditation system will be underway by 2007, with the program fully operational by 2008. More than 1,000 land trusts are eligible for accreditation.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s ongoing effort to protect the scenic and ecological qualities of Cobscook Bay moved forward this March with the permanent protection of a key 194-acre property bordering Cobscook Falls. For more than two decades, the Trust has worked with Quoddy Regional Land Trust (QRLT), The Nature Conservancy, and state and federal agencies to protect most of the islands and more than 12 miles of shoreline in nearby Straight Bay. This region has been a target for conservation due to its great diversity of habitat types which support migrating, roosting and feeding waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as nesting bald eagles and abundant fish and invertebrates.

The newly conserved parcel, which includes 1.7 miles of pristine shorefront, lies between the Town of Pembroke’s 24-acre Reversing Falls parcel and a 297-acre State Wildlife Management Area. “The Cobscook Falls property is in a prime location,” notes MCHT project manager Patrick Watson, “at the end of a prominent peninsula that separates outer Cobscook Bay from Dennys and Whiting bays. The protection of this wooded acreage and scenic shoreline will ensure that a nearly contiguous block of more than 500 acres remains unspoiled.”

MCHT helped QRLT acquire this property through a bargain sale (well below its appraised value) from Markley Boyer, who bought the land more than 30 years ago when it was threatened by a 70-lot subdivision. QRLT purchased the land with funds from a federal Coastal Wetlands Grant (see article on page 3). Boyer acquired several undeveloped properties as they came up for sale or were threatened with subdivision and development. He dismisses any suggestion that he had a clear vision for long-term protection: “I just acted as opportunities came along,” Boyer says. Yet single-handedly, he has had a profound impact on sustaining the unspoiled character of these beautiful bays. In addition to the recent Cobscook Falls project, Boyer has donated two nearby parcels to The Nature Conservancy, including nearly all of 140-acre Falls Island—a prime eagle-nesting site by Cobscook Falls. Boyer hopes that his efforts will inspire further conservation work in the vicinity.

The Cobscook Falls property will enhance the region’s recreational and economic opportunities, ensuring public access for clamming, fishing, hunting, walking, wildlife viewing, canoeing and kayaking. “While I obviously haven’t seen the entire United States, I happen to think Cobscook Bay is one of the top natural places in the country,” Boyer says, “and I’d like to help make this an area where—50 years from now—people can go.”

President’s Column by Jay Espy

An Exceptional Commitment to Conservation Innovation

Several months ago, I received one of the most extraordinary phone calls of my 20-year tenure at Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Our board chairman called to say he’d just spoken to a supporter who was considering making a gift of up to $1 million to benefit the Maine coast and the future of land conservation. This prospective donor and his wife wanted to support an effort that was forward-looking but could be hard to fund. In the weeks following that phone call, we outlined a plan to research, develop and