THE KENNEBEC LAND TRUST

1. LAND CONSERVATION SINCE 1988, KLT HAS WORKED COOPERATIVELY WITH LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE OUR REGION'S NATURAL RESOURCES. KLT HOLDS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON, ACCEPTS GIFTS OF, AND PURCHASES SIGNIFICANT LANDS TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. KLT'S COMMUNITY CONSERVATION LANDS PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT, WATER QUALITY, WORKING FORESTLAND AND FARMLAND, AND SCENIC BEAUTY, AND PROVIDE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YEAR-ROUND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR MAINE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. KLT HAS ACCOMPLISHED MANY NOTEWORTHY PROJECTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLANNING IN 2022 WE COMPLETED AN UPDATE OF THE TRUST'S STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN. OUR PLAN INCORPORATES 13 ECOLOGICAL AND COMMUNITY VALUES, INCLUDING PROXIMITY TO TRAIL ACCESS AND RESILIENCY IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, TWO ADDITIONS TO THE PREVIOUS STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN. THE PLAN HELPS US IDENTIFY HIGH PRIORITY CONSERVATION AREAS FOR OUR 413,000-ACRE SERVICE AREA. NEW LAND PROJECTS IN 2024 - 2025 KLT PROTECTED 261 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF CONSERVATION LAND IN KENNEBEC COUNTY. THE 39-ACRE JIMMY STREAM CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN LITCHFIELD, CONSERVED IN JULY 2024, PROTECTS HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD FORESTS AS WELL AS WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN AREAS WITH VALUABLE WILDLIFE HABITATS. THE PROPERTY FEATURES A HISTORIC NINETEENTH CENTURY CARRIAGE ROAD AND STONE WALLS, RECREATIONAL TRAILS MAINTAINED BY THE WHITE FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND GLIMPSES OF OAK HILL TO THE WEST. THE 7-ACRE FERGUSON PARCEL, FAYETTE IS ADJACENT TO KLT'S 72-ACRE HALES POND PRESERVE. THE PARCEL WAS PURCHASED WITH FUNDS FROM KLT DONORS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE TRUST'S PARTNERSHIP WORK TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE HOUSING, FOREST BASED LOCAL WOOD ECONOMIES, PUBLIC ACCESS TO CONSERVATION LAND, AND FORESTLAND CONSERVATION. THE PROPERTY HAS AN EXISTING WELL AND SEPTIC SYSTEM AND EXTENSIVE FRONTAGE ON RICHMOND MILLS ROAD. KLT IS CURRENTLY PAYING FULL TAXES ON THE PROPERTY WHILE EXPLORING WHETHER A SMALL NUMBER OF WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS COULD BE CONSTRUCTED ON THE PROPERTY IF THE LAND WAS TRANSFERRED TO A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. THE 97-ACRE HOPKINS SINCLAIR CONSERVATION AREA IN MANCHESTER WAS DONATED TO KLT IN FEBRUARY, 2025. THIS ECOLOGICALLY DIVERSE PROPERTY PROTECTS VALUABLE WOODLAND AND WETLAND HABITATS IN A LARGELY UNDEVELOPED LANDSCAPE. THESE FORESTS AND WETLANDS AND OTHER NEARBY CONSERVATION AND PRIVATELY OWNED LANDS ARE CRITICAL HABITAT FOR MANY OF MAINE'S WILDLIFE SPECIES, INCLUDING BLACK BEAR AND MOOSE - WILDLIFE SPECIES WITH EXTENSIVE HOME RANGES. THIS CONSERVATION LAND IS CONTIGUOUS WITH THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE'S 1,140-ACRE JAMIE'S POND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, KLT'S 68- ACRE WAGNER WOODS CONSERVATION AREA, AND THE 228-ACRE TOWN OF MANCHESTER CONSERVATION LANDS. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE 1,533 ACRES COMPRISE A SIGNIFICANT CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE. THE 8- ACRE PATTERSON ADDITION TO THE BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION AREA PROTECTS A PRODUCTIVE AND ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT HAYFIELD IN A LARGELY UNDEVELOPED AND RURAL LANDSCAPE. THE BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION AREA, NOW EIGHTY- EIGHT ACRES, IS CLOSE TO THE BALDWIN HILL CEMETERY, STURTEVANT FARM SCENIC AREA, MEADOW BROOK FARM CONSERVATION AREA, BAMFORD POND CONSERVATION AREA, AND HALES POND WOODLAND PRESERVE. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE 585 ACRES SUPPORT AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST-BASED ECONOMIES AND PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT, SCENIC, RECREATIONAL, AND WATER QUALITY VALUES. THE 54-ACRE EATON MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION AREA IN VIENNA FEATURES THE SCENIC UNDEVELOPED RIDGE OF EATON MOUNTAIN AND AN ECOLOGICALLY VALUABLE PERENNIAL STREAM THAT FLOWS INTO FLYING POND. THE PROPERTY IS CLOSE TO KLT'S PETER MILLER WOODLAND AND THE 6,800 + ACRE KENNEBEC HIGHLANDS, THE LARGEST CONSERVATION PROPERTY IN CENTRAL MAINE. EATON MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION AREA ADDS ADDITIONAL CONSERVATION VALUE TO THE HIGHLANDS, AND DUE TO ITS VARIED AND DIVERSE TERRAIN, PROTECTS A LANDSCAPE THAT COULD PROVIDE CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCY. THE 56-ACRE PARKER POND CONSERVATION AREA CONSERVATION AREA IN MOUNT VERNON IS LOCATED ON THE EAST SHORE OF PARKER POND. THIS SCENIC AND ECOLOGICALLY VALUABLE PROPERTY PROTECTS WATER QUALITY, 1,470 FEET OF UNDEVELOPED SHORE LAND AND AN ASSOCIATED CORRIDOR OF MATURE CONIFER-HARDWOOD FOREST, AND AN UPLAND HARDWOOD FOREST. WHEN COMBINED WITH OTHER NEARBY CONSERVATION AND PRIVATELY OWNED LANDS, THIS PROPERTY PROVIDES IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE SPECIES THAT DEPEND ON BOTH UNDEVELOPED LAKE AND WOODLAND HABITATS. KLT PLANS TO DEVELOP A SHORT TRAIL AND A HAND-CARRY BOAT ACCESS POINT OVER THE COMING YEARS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC ACCESS. BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION CEMETERY AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH, KLT'S 10-ACRE BALDWIN HILL CONSERVATION CEMETERY WAS INCORPORATED AS A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION IN THE STATE OF MAINE IN FEBRUARY 2020. THE CORPORATION, MANAGED BY A SEVEN-MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IS A 501(C) (13). BALDWIN HILL DIRECTORS AND KLT STAFF LEAD FREQUENT TOURS OF THE CEMETERY AND ARE PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO LAND TRUSTS AND OTHER NON-PROFITS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN INITIATING A CONSERVATION BURIAL GROUND PLANNING PROCESS IN MAINE OR IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THE CEMETERY IS SITUATED IN A STAND OF TALL WHITE PINES, WITH AN OPEN UNDERSTORY, AND SURROUNDED BY ROCK WALLS. A 0.25-MILE UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL WEAVES THROUGH THE PINE STAND AND OFFERS A CHANCE FOR REFLECTION AND A LOVELY VIEW. THE FALL FOLIAGE IS STUNNING IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. VISITORS WHO LINGER AT THE BENCHES OVERLOOKING ROLLING HILLS WILL LIKELY OBSERVE MANY SPECIES OF BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES IN AN AREA THAT WILL BE MANAGED FOR POLLINATOR AND EARLY SUCCESSIONAL HABITAT. THE CEMETERY PROVIDES ECOLOGICALLY SOUND BURIALS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS. ON THE OPERATIONS END, THE KLT OFFICE MANAGES THE BURIAL GROUND AND COORDINATES PLOT SALES. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH FUNERAL HOMES THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED EXPERTISE WITH GRIEF SUPPORT, MEMORIAL SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION OF THE DECEASED, AND BURIALS. THE BURIAL GROUND HAS RECEIVED CERTIFICATION AS A CONSERVATION CEMETERY ACCORDING TO THE STANDARDS AND BEST PRACTICES DEFINED BY THE GREEN BURIAL COUNCIL AND THE CONSERVATION BURIAL GROUND ALLIANCE. THE CEMETERY BEGAN OPERATIONS AND THE SALE OF INTERMENT RIGHTS IN JUNE 2021. SINCE THE OPENING, 212 PEOPLE HAVE PURCHASED INTERMENT RIGHTS. NINE BURIALS TOOK PLACE IN 2024 - 2025. THE MOST RECENT STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS HAVE BEEN MARKING EXISTING GRAVES SITES WITH GRANITE CORNER STONES AND MAINTAINING THE POLLINATOR FIELD HABITAT. BALDWIN HILL DIRECTORS AND KLT STAFF HAVE ALSO PRESENTED A NUMBER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS ABOUT CONSERVATION BURIAL AND THE BALDWIN HILL CEMETERY.