MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report 2011

Main Office

1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 201

Topsham, ME 04086

207-729-7366

Mount Desert Island Office

P.O. Box 669

Mount Desert, ME 04660

207-244-5100

Aldermere Farm

70 Russell Ave.

Rockport, ME 04856

207-236-2739

www.mcht.org

COVER IMAGE: IN 2011, MCHT PROTECTED

NEARLY 5 MILES OF SHOREFRONT IN SIPP BAY,

PEMBROKE, WHICH ENCOMPASSES SIGNIFICANT

SHOREBIRD HABITAT AND PRODUCTIVE MUDFLATS.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust conserves and

stewards Maine’s coastal lands and islands for

their renowned scenic beauty, outdoor recreational

opportunities, ecological diversity and working

landscapes. MCHT promotes the conservation

of natural places statewide by working with land

trusts, communities and other partners.

As a membership organization, MCHT is

supported by individuals committed to protecting

Maine’s natural beauty and resources.

The Trust invites your support and involvement.

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Maine Coast Heritage Trust often helps local, state and federal partners accomplish shared conservation goals, and

in 2011 we strengthened these alliances because so many governmental agencies faced budget cutbacks.

To help fill a critical, 100-acre gap within Camden Hills State Park, for example, the Trust acted as an intermediary,

supplied a bridge loan, and raised needed funds. A similar strategy helped protect several significant tracts on Mount

Desert Island adjacent to Acadia National Park, including shoreline at Round Pond and Lower Hadlock Pond.

In downeast Maine, MCHT helped the Town of Lubec provide shore access for local shellfish harvesters by acquiring

a strategic, one-acre parcel they traditionally have used. The Trust then donated the land to the Town and provided

stewardship funds to help maintain the access site. Farther south, MCHT helped the City of Biddeford match its

financial commitment to acquire a large, private parcel at the heart of a cherished municipal park.

We could not offer vital help to all our partners—from public entities to landowners—without the generosity and

commitment of our members and donors. The 2011 projects outlined in this report demonstrate the success of our

collective efforts. We thank you for your continued support.

Tim Glidden, President Kurt Klebe, Chair of the Board

L e n d i n g a H a n d

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L OW E R H A D L O C K PO N D

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2011 Land Project Accomplishments

2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

While many sectors of the economy have slowed in the economic down-

turn, land conservation is not among them. A national census recently

released by the Land Trust Alliance shows that voluntarily protected

land increased 27 percent between 2005 and 2010. In total number of

acres conserved from 2005 to 2010, Maine ranks first among eastern

states and second nationally with 1.8 million acres protected. Land trust

activity continued gaining momentum in 2011, with MCHT complet-

ing 45 projects and expanding community programs to ensure that more

Maine residents and visitors experience its preserves and enjoy the many

benefits of land protection. For more information on MCHT’s work and

its most recent financial statements, please visit www.mcht.org.

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MCHT conserved five entire islands in 2011, including 20-acre Big Babson Island in Eggemoggin Reach.

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Conservation Advances in Casco Bay

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Maine Coast Heritage Trust was fortunate in 2011 to work with generous and visionary landowners around Casco Bay

willing to protect four key properties of exceptional scenic and ecological value.

For more than 125 years, generations of the Otis family have cherished the wild beauty of their waterfront property in

Falmouth. “It was unimaginable to me that this land be divided into house lots,” observes landowner Larney Otis. It has

always seemed that it was my role, the role of my generation, to do what I could to preserve it.” She recently donated a

conservation easement on 36 acres to MCHT, ensuring that this wildlife oasis—with 3,600 feet of shorefront visible from

Mackworth Island and Portland’s Eastern Promenade—will remain unspoiled for centuries to come.

Ongoing efforts to protect valuable habitat in Brunswick’s Maquoit Bay advanced, thanks to a collaborative effort to protect

an historic saltwater farm that encompasses 196 upland acres and 46 acres of intertidal flats and eelgrass beds. With

financial and grant-writing support from MCHT, the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust secured a conservation easement

from Jack Henshaw and his family (at a generously discounted price) that prevents new development and provides for

recreational trails and access to 1,500 feet of shoreline for hunting, fishing and shellfish harvesting.

Two easements donated to MCHT on major shorefront lands in Harpswell will protect important eelgrass beds and a seal haulout.

Landowners Helen and Walter Norton purchased both parcels with the express intent of conserving them, preventing nearly

all future development on 50 acres of Birch Island and 26 acres bordering Wilson Cove. “We think that people will really

appreciate having some open land here in the future,” the Nortons observed. “There is less and less of it available.”

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Youth Partnerships in Local Communities

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In a growing number of communities, Maine Coast

Heritage Trust is helping youth enjoy outdoor learning at

its preserves. Fifth- and sixth-grade students at Castine’s

Adams School now explore MCHT’s Witherle Woods

Preserve several times a year with Regional Stewards Kirk

Gentalen and Douglas McMullin, joining in vernal pool

explorations, fungus walks and animal tracking. Their

principal, Katie Frothingham, says students deem these

“the coolest field trips ever.” Gentalen is delighted by how

much the students recall from their previous visits and how excited they are to return. “It’s pretty amazing the connections

they make in such a short time,” he notes. “The trips with them are one of the highlights of my year.”

Students at the Frenchboro School help out MCHT each fall during Maine’s annual Coastal Cleanup. “They gather shoreline

trash and tabulate the amounts and kinds (as part of a national marine debris survey), and then recycle many of the items,”

notes Regional Steward Terry Towne. “The students also helped me monitor wildlife, and used our game camera to get

photos of river otters and a saw-whet owl that frequent the island.”

Students in an afterschool program run by Maine Seacoast Mission in western Washington County have a new monthly

outing club that gets 7th/8th graders visiting land trusts in their communities. “Fun is foremost,” says Regional Steward Deirdre

Whitehead, “but they’re learning as well about stewardship and outdoor skills. They are so enthusiastic about their explorations!”

Farther downeast, Regional Steward Melissa Lee organizes excursions twice each month for the students at Lubec

Consolidated School. This popular outing club program, now in its twelfth year, is continually forging new partnerships

in the community (this year with Cobscook Bay State Park where students will enjoy several winter activities).

Federal Funds Extend Wetland Conservation

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Many of Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s most ambitious conservation

initiatives rely on partnerships—involving local citizens, other nonprofits,

municipalities, and state and federal agencies. Over the past two decades, a

visionary piece of Congressional legislation—the North American Wetlands

Conservation Act (NAWCA)—has supported many of these partnerships.

Through NAWCA, conservation partners have protected more than 25

million acres of wetlands for waterfowl, migratory birds and fish across the

country, including more than 1 million acres in Maine.

Every federal grant dollar is more than matched by state/local resources

($22.5 million of NAWCA funds in Maine have generated partner

contributions totaling nearly $128 million!). NAWCA funds have been

instrumental in preserving key tracts along Cobscook and Merrymeeting

bays, the Kennebec River estuary, Greater Pleasant Bay downeast, the

York River, and numerous other coastal and inland settings.

“On Mount Desert Island, a $1 million NAWCA grant boosted our early efforts to conserve 516-acre Kitteredge

Brook Forest,” observes David MacDonald, MCHT’s Director of Land Protection. “Not only were the dollars vital, but that

stamp of approval from a national program inspired others to help as well.” Another NAWCA grant for work in Cobscook

Bay is helping MCHT and the Downeast Coastal Conservancy purchase generously discounted

land and easements from willing landowners, including 22 acres at Carlos Cove that adjoins MCHT

island holdings. “The NAWCA grants have consistently delivered outstanding wetland protection

in Maine’s richest coastal wildlife areas,” MacDonald reflects. “We’re grateful for the key support

provided by our partners at state and federal agencies and by Maine’s congressional delegation.”

Collaborative Effort Protects a Cherished Island

Battle Island lies within MCHT’s “Bagaduce River Whole Place,” a region of high wildlife value and conservation work

shared with Blue Hill Heritage Trust and The Conservation Trust of Brooksville, Castine and Penobscot (TCT). This

2-acre island was among the first privately owned sites placed on the Maine Island Trail two decades ago, and the Battle

logbook soon filled with appreciative comments from Trail visitors.

The island’s recent owners valued sharing the place with others but found little time to visit themselves. The demands of

absentee ownership finally prompted them

to sell, but—thanks to the Maine Island

Trail Association and TCT—they contact-

ed MCHT and agreed to a conservation

purchase at a generously discounted price.

Additional contributions came from the

local community, foundations, and MITA

staff and board members.

After the Trust took ownership, MCHT and

MITA staff and community volunteers set to

work returning the island to its natural state

by dismantling aging structures. A camping

area is being established so that the general

public and Trail visitors can continue enjoying

this peaceful haven in the Bagaduce estuary.

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Growing Produce (and Farmers) at Erickson Fields Preserve

Four teenagers had a farming immersion experience at MCHT’s Erickson Fields

Preserve in Rockport last summer through the Trust’s “Teen Ag” program. The

crew worked 40 hours a week planning, planting, maintaining, and harvesting

a diverse array of organic vegetables. Roughly a quarter of the 7,800 pounds

grown was donated to local food banks and the local high school, with the

balance purchased by Good Shepherd Food Bank for distribution to food banks

statewide. Heather Halsey, Community Programs Manager for Erickson Fields,

notes that all of the teens now anticipate growing their own gardens: “Having

daily contact with the land helps foster a conservation ethic at a time when

these young people are forming their identity.”

The students took

pride in knowing their

work made a real dif-

ference to their com-

munity. “Bringing the

vegetables to the food

pantry was definitely the most rewarding part of the job,” one

reflected. “People who were coming to get food would thank

us on their way out—it felt really great!”

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All in a Day’s Work for MCHT’s Regional Stewards

In addition to traditional tasks such as monitoring easements and maintaining trails, MCHT’s regional stewards undertake

many memorable and challenging projects in the course of a given year. During 2011, they participated in a prescribed

burn on part of Calderwood Island, tore apart several abandoned structures, monitored game cameras, helped researchers in

the field, and informed and inspired preserve visitors ranging in age from 8 to 80. “Having to change gears frequently—

and often dramatically—is part of what makes the job fun and challenging,” reflects Regional Steward Amanda Devine.

“Alongside lengthy days at the desk that call for patience and diplomacy, there’s the 14-hour days chain-sawing. Not every

job calls for such adrenaline!”

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For years, 3,200 acres adjoining the Schoodic Unit of Acadia National

Park faced an uncertain fate, shadowed by the threat of large-scale

development. Thanks to critical help from Maine Coast Heritage Trust,

the conservation-minded Lyme Timber Company purchased this prop-

erty late in 2011 from a private company that had in 2008 proposed

a development with hundreds of villas, a hotel and a golf course.

The expanse of woodlands and wetlands encompasses significant wildlife habitat, including more than a mile of shore-

front and two islands. “We’re relieved to have this change of ownership remove the most significant threat to Acadia

National Park,” observes Park Superintendent

Sheridan Steele.

To ensure that 1,500 acres nearest the Park

will be conserved, MCHT has signed an option

agreement with Lyme Timber for a conserva-

tion easement. In 2012, the Trust will work

with the new owners and others to advance a

conservation plan for the property that consid-

ers appropriate, small-scale development while

respecting its significant conservation values.

MCHT Plays Pivotal Role in Schoodic Peninsula Protection

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PHOTO CREDITS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: BILLY HELPRIN,

RICH KNOX, AMANDA DEVINE, BILLY HELPRIN. MCHT

MDI Initiative Helps MCHT Secure Key Properties

MCHT conserved several notable properties on Mount Desert Island (MDI) during 2011,

thanks to its MDI Land Conservation Initiative (which seeks to protect the island’s

woods and watersheds, productive farmland, western shore, and vulnerable lands within

park boundaries). Purchase of Kitteredge Brook Forest, a centerpiece of the Initiative,

secured the island’s largest remaining unbroken expanse of woodlands and wetlands.

Other major projects included acquisition of 26 acres along the western shore of Lower

Hadlock Pond, a popular destination for hikers and paddlers, and a bargain sale purchase

of 14 acres on Round Pond in Pretty Marsh. Both properties were acquired in partnership

with Friends of Acadia and will be transferred to Acadia National Park.

By the end of 2011, the MDI Initiative was nearing its ambitious $10 million goal thanks

to generous support from com-

munity donors and challenge

grants from the Pew Charitable

Trusts and the Davis Family

Foundation. These significant

grants helped mobilize com-

munity support and enabled

the Trust to meet a tight time-

line on the purchase option for

Kitteredge Brook Forest.

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Aldermere Farm Accomplishments

The Aldermere Achievers 4-H group at MCHT’s Aldermere Farm Preserve attended the world’s largest purebreed live-

stock exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. “I wish our supporters could have seen the excitement on their faces,” reflects

Aldermere Farm General Manager Ron Howard, who accompanied the eight students. “They decided a year ago to

do this, and—with their families—took the lead raising funds. They held a public supper, sold vegetables and flowers,

walked dogs, and weeded gardens—raising $10,000 to cover their costs. Each one played a key role and it was a true

team victory.”

The Aldermere Achievers finished strong in

showmanship and garnered three of the top

four awards for animals in the National Beltie

Youth Group Show. “These terrific young

people have a lot to be proud of,” Howard

observes, “and gained many life lessons that

will pay dividends for years to come.”

In addition to its fine showing at the

National Livestock Exposition, Aldermere

Farm was named the National Belted

Galloway Society’s Breeder of the Year

for 2011 and its heifer, Aldermere Xanderlee,

was named the Society’s National Heifer of

the Year.

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BOA R D O F D I R E C T O R S

Burt Adelman

Thomas Armstrong, Jr.

Forrest Berkley

Robert O. Blake

Peter Blanchard, III

Carol Donnelly

Thomas Haslett

Sally Jacobs

Dawn E. Kidd

Kurt Klebe

Burks Lapham

Arthur Martinez

Lucy McCarthy

Evan D. Richert

Richard Rockefeller

Doris (Didi) Stockly

Anna Marie Thron

Paula Volent

COU N C I L M E M B E R S

Richard A. Spencer, Chair

Gordon Abbott, Jr.

Rachel F. Armstrong

Anne Bass

Elmer Beal, Jr.

Patricia H. Blake

Thomas E. Bradbury

Julia L. Brady

Edmund Cabot

Albert M. Creighton, Jr.

Gale Davis

Philip DeNormandie

Charles W.H. Dodge

Dianna Emory

Anne M. Franchetti

Joseph Hammer

Horace A. Hildreth, Jr.

Alix Hopkins

Elizabeth B. Johnson

Marion Kane

John M. Kauffmann

Bonnie Lounsbury

Caroline Macomber

E. Van R. Milbury

George Putnam, III

Peter Quesada

Peter W. Rand

Mary C. Rea

John R. Robinson

Roxana Robinson

Jean Wheeler

Harold E. Woodsum, Jr.

William J. Zwartjes

Board and Council Members as of 11/1/2011

THOMAS E. IRELAND, CHAIR LINZEE WELD, VICE CHAIR PETER CHANDLER, TREASURER

FOU N D E R S

Thomas D. Cabot (1897–1995)

Margaret M. Rockefeller (1915–1996)

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Working toward Sustainability

MCHT’s Land Trust Program continued supporting local trusts in 2011 with frequent communications, networking

opportunities, and trainings. In addition to the ongoing Circuit Rider and Maine Excellence programs, the Land Trust

Program hosted two workshops—for 40 representatives of both staffed and volunteer trusts—with Judy Anderson, a na-

tionally known consultant who shared ideas on how to broaden a trust’s base of support in challenging economic times.

Trust staff also hosted five regional workshops throughout the state, giving 66 land trust representatives a chance to

discuss different facets of sustainability—ranging from accreditation and leadership succession to regional collaboration.

“Forests and Lakes, for People, Forever”

A vision of community-based conservation drives the spectacular

success of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust based in Grand Lake

Stream, which received the Espy Land Heritage Award in May 2011

(given each year at MCHT’s annual Maine Land Conservation

Conference). Through a steadfast commitment to sustaining the

economic vitality and recreational traditions of the downeast lakes

region, DLLT has conserved 350,000 acres during its first decade.

Acknowledging the award and accompanying $5,000 gift, DLLT

Executive Director Mark Berry noted how “this comes at an important

time for our community and will help our current campaign, the

West Grand Lake Community Forest Project.”

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