By Misty Edgecomb, Of the NEWS Staff
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Misty
Last updated: Saturday, June 7, 2003
Deal aims to preserve 342,000 acres of forest
Boosters for the conservation of working forestland cheered an announcement Friday in Augusta that will preserve 342,000 acres in eastern Washington County by the new Downeast Lakes Forestry Partnership - the largest-ever conservation deal in this part of the state."The best way to ensure public access into the future is to keep that land forested, so it won't be liquidated and subdivided," said Stephen Keith of Princeton. The project began when a group of local people wanted to preserve the forestland around Grand Lake Stream, an area well known to deer hunters, fishermen and canoeists. The group formed the Downeast Lakes Land Trust in 2001, and began raising money to buy a 27,000-acre parcel of land known as Farm Cove, which includes miles of shore land on six lakes."It's very important to the local economy to keep the shores undeveloped," said Keith, who serves as executive director of the trust.Because the group was small and inexperienced, it went looking for a partner and found the New England Forestry Foundation, a nonprofit group that specializes in conservation easements which encourage logging.The partnership was created, and soon negotiated a purchase agreement with the land's manager, a New Hampshire-based company, Wagner Timber Partners. The land is actually owned by a large group of anonymous investors.For $35 million, the deal includes the purchase of Farm Cove, as well as a 312,000-acre easement on surrounding forestland that will be held by the New England Forestry Foundation. Farm Cove will be owned by the local land trust, but NEFF will hold an easement on the land.On Friday afternoon, Passamaquoddy Gov. Robert Newell and Gov. John Baldacci held a joint press conference to announce the deal and kick off a fund-raising campaign. A total of $35 million needs to be raised by the end of 2004 to secure the deal, said Elizabeth Swain, a spokeswoman for the foundation.The project has no public money at this point, but plans to submit a proposal to the Land for Maine's Future fund, Swain said.Local people were aware of the project long before Friday's announcement, however, and not everyone is pleased.The town of Baileyville has voiced concern over secrecy. Although 8,000 acres of town land and the town's water system are included in the easement, local leaders have not been told the details of the deal.The partnership has released a synopsis of the easement, promising that hunters, fishermen, hikers and snowmobilers will be able to use the land for recreation. An ATV policy has not yet been settled, Swain said.A public meeting to discuss the project has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 9, at the Woodland Elementary School in Baileyville.
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