The Kennebec Land Trust

Education - public programs: klt hosted public programs with many participants, including our annual lyceum lecture series on "maine's state parks and public lands: conserving nature", sustainable forestry education programs, a geology walk, botany programs, Maine entomological field day, wilderness first aid, a community clean-up of cobbossee watershed, property dedications, and more. Publications include: klt news: biannual newsletters featuring new conservation properties and an annual calendar of events; and monthly email programs and news updates. 2022 intern research projects: (1)amphibians of your backyard, (2)conversations with new mainers; take a hike: The Kennebec Land Trust hiking guide, second edition published in december 2020 with thirty-two hikes; save howard hill-scenic backdrop to Maine's state house, published in 2014 - text, maps, historic and contemporary photographs focused augusta's howard hill, The 164 acre scenic backdrop to Maine's state house; your woodland: a resource guide for Kennebec county landowners, published in february 2012; between person and place: conservation histories from The Kennebec Land Trust, published in 2010, essays and photographs highlighting The stories behind klt's conservation lands; writing The land-maine: an anthology of 13 Land trusts, including klt, and The work of 27 poets who wrote poems inspired by their adopted lands throughout Maine.

Land protection - since 1988, klt has worked cooperatively with landowners and communities to conserve our region's natural assets. Klt has conserved almost 7,700 acres in a service area that covers 413,000 acres and 21 towns primarily in Kennebec county, but also androscoggin and franklin counties. 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 recreation for Maine residents and visitors. Klt has accomplished many noteworthy projects over The past several years, including The following: strategic conservation planning - klt recently 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. This plan helps us identify high priority conservation areas for our 413,000-acre service area. New Land projects - 74-acre hales pond woodland preserve in fayette is a beautiful and topographically varied property that features 2,700 feet of undeveloped stream and pond frontage, vernal pools, and biologically rich woodland and wetland habitats. The Maine department of inland fisheries and wildlife has mapped The wetlands and waters of hales pond as ecologically valuable inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat. Expansion of reynolds forest in sidney with The 7-acre diehl addtion, making a total of 42 acres conserved. Baldwin hill conservation area: 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 five member board of directors, is a 501(c)(13). The cemetery is situated in a stand of tall white pines, with an open understory, surrounded by rock walls. A .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 The rolling hills will likely observe many species of birds and butterflies in an area that will be managed for pollinators and early successional habitat. The cemetery provides ecologically sound burials for people of all faiths. On The operations end, klt will manage The burial grounds and coordinate plot sales. We are partnering with funeral homes that have established expertise with grief support, memorial services, and 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, 138 people have purchased interment rights. Four burials took place in 2022-23. The most recent project was additional work on The pollinator field habitat.

Stewardship - klt staff and board members oversee The management of klt's fee lands, monitor conservation easements and work with 71 volunteer stewards. Klt's stewards collectively volunteered over 893 hours for trail maintenance, monitoring, and public access projects. Conservation parcels that are especially large in acreage, or have unique or complex management needs, have more than one volunteer steward. Klt recently completed an update of The Trust's strategic conservation plan. The plan incorporates thirteen ecological and community priority conservation values, including proximity to trail access and resiliency to climate change, two additions to The previous strategic conservation plan. Klt's strategic conservation plan was developed with gis base natural resource information, and with information from community open space and comprehensive plans. Our plan helps to identify high priority conservation areas for our 413,000-acre service area.