Moosehead Regional Land Trust annual meeting set for Dover-Foxcroft

The Moosehead Regional Land Trust will be rotating its annual meeting from Greenville to Dover-Foxcroft. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 at the Thompson Free Library.

The Moosehead Regional Land Trust was founded nearly two years ago to conserve and protect the headwaters of the Kennebec and Penobscot River watersheds and sustain the tradition of public access to land in the Moosehead Lake Region. The watersheds of the two rivers cover most of Piscataquis County— with Moosehead Lake serving as the headwaters for both — so the nonprofit land trust serves the entire region. 

The first step is to get the organization name out there and build relationships while educating about what the Moosehead Regional Land Trust does.

“We are a watershed organization land trust so our mission is to preserve and protect the upper Kennebec and Penobscot watersheds,” Moosehead Regional Land Trust President Carla Ritchie said while sitting on a picnic table at the Thompson Free Library pavilion, where the Aug. 1 meeting will be held. “That encompasses most of Piscataquis County so we have a large area that we cover.”

Ritchie, Vice President Bill Baker and Kay Johnson founded the organization. Johnson has been involved with the Friends of Wilson Pond since its formation 30 years ago. 

“Up here there’s so much space and we didn’t want to limit ourselves to one thing or another, but then at the same time it took us a long time to figure out where we are going to go,” Ritchie said. “We felt that was really important and impactful that those watersheds are protected because everything happens down hill.”

Most land trusts acquire land as a mission and goal for purposes such as recreation or resource protection, Ritchie said. 

“For a watershed land trust, we value protection of the water as well as protecting the land and you really can’t separate the water from the land,” she said. “When the rain falls, it falls on the land and the water goes all the way to the oceans so it’s more of looking at the ecosystem holistically rather than are we going to protect this parcel?”

Ritchie and Baker met while each was hiking Big Moose Mountain. They soon had conservations about land conservation.

“I had already envisioned this before because I am on the ski patrol and I live across the street,” Baker said. “I had it in my head, this piece fits really nicely into the ski area. We could make it into a four-season kind of place with the pond right there, a swim beach, dirt roads going right through there for bicycling and cross country skiing.” So I had that vision and I knew to do that you need a bunch of people organized.” 

The Friends of Wilson Pond is the only land trust near Greenville — other large parcels are protected with other methods. That organization did not want to expand, so Ritchie (who serves on the Friends of Baxter State Park and Baxter State Park Advisory Committee), Baker (who worked with land trusts when he lived and worked in Hancock County) and Johnston formed a new land trust.

“We are hoping people will want to work with us in some way,” Ritchie said. “There is a need all over the region for avenues for people to conserve their land.”

Property owners can donate land, sell it or place it under conservation easements. The land trust has a legal obligation to ensure all rules are followed on the easement in perpetuity, which can be loose or very specific, so there are negotiating points.

Much of the land would be open for recreation, while some parcels would be closed due to high ecological value. This could be for deer wintering areas or a bog with unique plants.

“I think most of what we’re thinking of is to be open to the public for recreation,” Baker said.

The land trust is giving back with programs and events such as water quality monitoring at Moosehead Lake with Lake Stewards of Maine.

Volunteers lowered tape measures with black and white discs attached into the water at five different sites.

“When you lose sight of the disc you see how deep it is and you do that every year,”  Baker said. “You see how clear it is, for clarity.”

Recorders note the depth and water clarity; sediment, algae or aquatic plants can reduce clarity. 

The organization has hosted presentations on lake succession and book talks. 

The land trust also sponsors events to give back such as the Wilderness Sled Dog Races and Moosehead Marathon.

The Aug. 1 annual meeting, cohosted with the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District, begins with coffee at 9 a.m. The business meeting follows at 9:30 a.m. and then land conservation expert and consultant Jerry Bley will speak on “How to Conserve Your Land.” RSVPs are appreciated but not required.

The business meeting will include board approval, a review of financials and strategic plans and recruitment of directors from southern Piscataquis County.