Fish River Lakes Conservation Easement Completed
PRESS RELEASE:
The Forest Society of Maine announced the completion of a forest conservation easement on lands owned by Irving Woodlands in the Fish River Chain of Lakes region in Aroostook County, Maine. This permanent easement, encompassing some 16,900 acres, is strategically located to provide natural resource protections for the lands around Mud Lake, Cross Lake, and Square Lake—known to many as the Fish River Chain of Lakes. Going forward the Forest Society of Maine has the responsibility of stewarding the permanent working forest conservation easement.
“These lands support many conservation values including diverse plant and wildlife habitats, including streams that are home to brook trout, rainbow smelt, and landlocked salmon,” stated Karin Tilberg, Forest Society of Maine President/CEO. “We are tremendously pleased to have worked with the Irving team and through the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) process to develop a meaningful conservation easement for these lands.”
The conservation easement ensures the forests won’t be developed or converted to other uses not compatible with sustainably managed forests. It protects the majority of the shoreline around Square Lake and Carry Pond and the streams that feed them and requires that all forestry activities are implemented as part of a forest management plan. The easement also creates a permanent right of pedestrian public access on the lands for low intensity outdoor recreation.
The Fish River Conservation Easement was developed during a public process connected with the Lake Concept Plan developed by Irving Woodlands and approved in late 2019 by LUPC. “We are pleased to announce the signing of our Conservation Easement with the Forest Society of Maine as a component of the Fish River Chain of Lakes Concept Plan,” said Anthony Hourihan, Director Land Development of Irving Woodlands, “Responsible, well-planned development will provide new recreational and economic opportunities in Aroostook County while ensuring important conservation values are maintained for the long term. The Forest Society of Maine has been a great partner through this process by balancing the need for conservation with the need to maintain working forest which supports a critical industry in the County.”
FSM Featured in PAWS Trails
When the editor of PawsTrails Explorer magazine approached me about writing an article on the success of working forestland conservation in Maine, it was autumn 2019. The piece finally went live in December 2020. Scrolling through it, that first time, I was struck by all that has happened in the intervening months. In more ways than one, I don’t feel like the same person who wrote this.
I was asked to answer a question. How did Maine, in less than three decades, manage to conserve 3,000,000 acres? The story that I told—the story that was told to me—was about consensus. It wasn’t a perfect consensus. While I was not present for the events described, I suspect that important voices were probably not heard, or even offered a seat at the table, as some of these enormous decisions about the future of Maine lands were being made. It is a tremendous understatement to say that I omitted pieces and players from a larger and more complicated narrative than I had space or time to delve into.
What has always compelled me about the Forest Society of Maine’s mission is that it acknowledges that different people can love a place for different reasons. In the article, I quote Jay Espy as saying that, “People recognized that there would need to be a land trust different from any other that had come before.” I believe that there was and is still a need for organizations like FSM, that do not see “conservation” as “land that is empty of people.”
The story of land conservation in Maine is, at its core, the story of a critical mass of individuals who took a hard, honest look into the future. They looked, and they saw with clear eyes that it was possible to lose the things they valued most. This is (some of) what happened, next:
http://www.pawstrails.com/magazine/forest-conservation-maine-us-by-erica-cassidy-dubois/
Sending warm wishes to all reading this for good health and happiness in 2021.
My very best, Erica
Capturing the Grafton Landscape
Article originally published in the 2020 fall edition of Forest View, FSM’s biannual newsletter.
Sometimes the best way to depict the essence of a place is not with words but with images. That is why photographer Jerry Monkman can be found waiting on a mountain summit before dawn with multiple cameras, ready to catch the first glow of light that seeps over the horizon, or on the shore of a tree-lined pond as evening light softens and fades. Dawn and dusk are excellent times to photograph, Jerry says, because this is when the landscape is the most dramatic and colorful. As a conservation photographer that specializes in scenic landscapes, his images grace the publications and websites of many conservation organizations and help to tell the stories of untrammeled places across Maine and New England.
This summer, the Forest Society of Maine (FSM) commissioned Jerry to showcase the beauty of the 21,300-acre Grafton Forest project which FSM is working to conserve. Jerry says that as he roamed the Grafton Forest lands he heard coyotes yip and howl in the distance and noted that there was moose sign everywhere. He describes York Pond as, “small and beautiful, idyllic and quiet, populated by beaver and ducks.”
With his photos, Jerry hopes to inspire people to care about natural and forested landscapes. At Grafton Forest, he spent hours driving dirt roads and hiking side trails, scouting the exact location from which to take the above shot. His images help us understand, even if we have never been there, what it feels like to watch the sun rise over the Mahoosuc mountains while shreds of mist float above the Swift Cambridge River. He’s spent more than 30 years looking through the lens of a camera, in all kinds of weather and locations. Being in remote places, like the rugged forests of western Maine, can be stressful—but it can also be meditative, and Jerry can’t imagine doing anything else.
“It’s my way of showing passion for wild places and open spaces,” he says. Now having hiked the ridgelines around Grafton Forest, Jerry can see that FSM’s project is an important one, “because conserving the lower slopes of one of the famed sections of the Appalachian Trail will also conserve the views from those peaks.”
Featured images from Grafton Township
To see more photos by EcoPhotography or learn more about Jerry’s work visit: ecophotography.com
Three Steps to Follow Before Heading Outdoors
For Immediate Release
April 2, 2020
Three Steps for Mainers to Follow Before Heading Outdoors
AUGUSTA, Maine – The current “Stay Healthy at Home” mandate identifies “engaging in outdoor exercise activities, such as walking, hiking, running, or biking” as essential personal activities, provided they are conducted in accordance with all public health restrictions and guidance. Maine’s conservation community, natural resource agencies, and outdoor brands want everyone to have the opportunity to get outside during this challenging time.
Most of our publicly accessible conservation lands are available for healthy outdoor recreation. Still, we all must do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent unnecessary stress on our Maine Warden Service, Forest Rangers, and first responders.
While some popular conservation lands have closed recently due to overuse and crowding, the vast majority remains open to the public. As spring weather arrives in Maine, it is critical that all individuals and families who head outdoors follow three simple steps:
- Find the Right Time and Place
- Be Prepared Before Heading Out
- Heed All COVID-19 Health Warnings
The following checklists will help us all enjoy Maine’s outdoors in ways that are safe and responsible during this difficult time.
Before you hit the trail, cast a line, or launch a canoe, please be sure to:
Find the Right Time and Place
- Know What’s Close to Home: Consider visiting a nearby Wildlife Management Area, or a less-trafficked state park, public land, or local land trust (Maine Trail Finder is a great resource!)
- Check before you go: Visit websites to see the latest information on closures or conditions. Please respect all property closures, including any roads or trails that are posted for mud season.
- Have a plan B: If the parking lot is full, the destination is too crowded. If your first destination has a busy parking lot, go to the next spot on your list!
- Avoid peak times: Get out earlier or later in the day.
- Recharge in your backyard and neighborhood!: Spring in Maine means there is a lot to see and explore right in our own yards.
Be Prepared Before Heading Out
- Expect limited services: Facilities like public restrooms are likely closed, so plan accordingly.
- Pack snacks and water: Do what you can to avoid having to make stops along the way.
- Dress for success: It is spring in Maine, so trails are likely to be wet, muddy, slippery, or icy; bring appropriate gear to match the conditions. Local outdoor brands are open for online sales and are available to give advice on appropriate gear and equipment.
- Don’t take risks: Stick to easier terrain to avoid injuries, which add stress for first responders and medical resources.
- Watch out for ticks: Wear light-colored pants, closed-toe shoes, and apply EPA-approved bug repellent.
Heed All COVID-19 Health Warnings
- Practice social distancing: Stay at least six feet away from other people who do not live in your household. If necessary, step aside when passing other people on the trail. And remember that groups of 10 or more are prohibited.
- Don’t linger: Shorten your stay when visiting natural stopping points such as waterfalls, summits, and viewpoints so everyone can enjoy them while maintaining a safe distance.
- Don’t touch: Avoid touching signs, kiosks, buildings, and benches to minimize the potent spread of the virus.
- If you’re sick, stay home: It puts others at risk when you leave home while exhibiting symptoms related to COVID-19, or if you have recently been exposed to the virus.
If we all follow these guidelines and put public health first, we can enjoy Maine’s natural resources in safe and responsible ways as we work through this difficult time together.
Appalachian Mountain Club
Center for Community GIS
Forest Society of Maine
Maine Audubon
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine Land Trust Network
Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation
Maine Outdoor Brands
Maine Trails Coalition
The Nature Conservancy in Maine
Read the original press release here.
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