This project permanently protected 28 acres in the Beaver Dam Heath Conservation Focus Area through a bargain sale of the fee simple interest. The Grants Meadow III parcel is 85% wetland. The remainder of the upland lies along Diamond Hill Road with adequate frontage for 2-3 house lots. This project involved outreach to the Town of Berwick for project funding to match the PREP funding awarded. GWRLT also received NAWCA funds to complete the project

Great Works Regional Land Trust

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars'RepositoryPREP Reports & Publications Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space(EOS)10-31-2011Protecting a Portion of the Beaver Dam HeathConservation Focus Area and Initiating InnovativeConservation Financing in Berwick, MaineGreat Works Regional Land TrustFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/prepPart of the Marine Biology CommonsThis Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) at University of NewHampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in PREP Reports & Publications by an authorized administrator of University ofNew Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationGreat Works Regional Land Trust, "Protecting a Portion of the Beaver Dam Heath Conservation Focus Area and Initiating InnovativeConservation Financing in Berwick, Maine" (2011). PREP Reports & Publications. 14.https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/14    Protecting a Portion of the Beaver Dam Heath Conservation Focus Area and Initiating Innovative Conservation Financing in Berwick, Maine Federal award #CE991711-15 UNH Grant: 166182; Fund: 166183       A Final Report to  The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership    Submitted by  Great Works Regional Land Trust PO Box 151 South Berwick, ME  03908    October 31, 2011        This project was funded in part by a grant from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership as authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program.      1 Project Abstract   This project permanently protected 28 acres in the Beaver Dam Heath Conservation Focus Area through a bargain sale of the fee simple interest.  The Grants Meadow III parcel is 85% wetland.  The remainder of the upland lies along Diamond Hill Road with adequate frontage for 2-3 house lots. This project involved outreach to the Town of Berwick for project funding to match the PREP funding awarded.   GWRLT also received NAWCA funds to complete the project.       Table of Contents  Introduction – 1 Project Objectives – 4 Outcomes and Conclusions – 4 Appendices - 6           2 Introduction  Beaver Dam Heath situated in Berwick/North Berwick Maine is a 1,500+/- wetland mosaic interspersed with upland forest and is a State Focus Area for Ecological Significance.  Two (2) tributaries of the Great Works River flow through Beaver Dam Heath (Beaver Dam Brook & Lovers Brook) and an un-named stream exiting from the western side of Beaver Dam Heath flows into the Salmon Falls River. Beaver Dam Heath is a PREP Conservation Focus Area(CFA) that supports three (3) rare animal species (Black Racer snake, Spotted Turtle & Blandings Turtle), four (4) rare plant species (Eastern Joe-pye weed, Atlantic White cedar, Button Sedge and Smooth Winterberry Holly).  Large contiguous natural areas such as Beaver Dam Heath are becoming increasingly rare in the rapidly developing region of southern York County.  The Town of Berwick in particular has seen residential growth increasing at 2.5% annually in the last decade.  Permanent protection of land within Beaver Dam Heath began in 2006 with the donation of 113 acres to Great Works Regional Land Trust (GWRLT) (Grants Meadow I). This was followed by a 4 acre donation by the Town of Berwick(Grants Meadow II). GWRLT had the opportunity to purchase 28 additional acres adjacent to these conservation lands at a bargain sale.    This latest project (Grants Meadow III) is 85% palustrine wetland, but contains enough upland acreage and frontage along Diamond Hill Road to include 2-3 house lots.         3     4Project Objectives    This project primarily implemented the following Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) Management Plan Actions:   Action Plan ID# Action Plan Title Output LU‐14 Work with landowners to permanently protect land and water through conservation easements and fee acquisitions, particularly associated with Conservation Focus Areas (CFAs). Land protected in CFAsLU‐14 Work with landowners to permanently protect land and water through conservation easements and fee acquisitions, particularly associated with Conservation Focus Areas (CFAs). Innovative fund raising activity for land protection projects and/or stewardship activities.  GWRLT was awarded a small NAWCA grant in 2010 of $75,000 toward the purchase of Grants Meadow III, with the value of Grants Meadow I, prior period project costs and the bargain sale value, used as non-Federal match (2.2:1 match ratio – appendix A). The goal was to use PREP grant award to complete the purchase price and obtain matching funds from the town of Berwick for stewardship and transaction costs.     Outcomes and Conclusions  This project resulted in the first permanent protection of upland acreage in Beaver Dam Heath (approximately 14 acres in core CFA & eight acres in CFA supporting landscape) and elimination of 2-3 potential house lots (Appendix B).  Along with the funds award by PREP for this project, GWRLT was successful in obtaining NAWCA funds for completing the purchase price, closing costs and administrative costs for this land transaction.  The Grants Meadow III project also involved a high level of engagement between GWRLT and the citizens and municipal officials of the Town of Berwick.  Over 70 hours of volunteer management went into outreach and education presentations to over 200 people (Appendix C).   Meetings included presentations to the Board of Selectmen and public in the town of Berwick, resulting in voter approval of a $10,000 appropriation to support conservation and stewardship of GMIII (appendix D).     5Additional outreach was accomplished through multiple press releases celebrating the success of the project (Appendix E).  The success of this project is a model to follow.  Active cultivation in a community that will directly benefit from a land conservation project resulted in significant financial support from the community.  Supporting a local land trust in their role of education and outreach could be a key factor in gaining financial support for land conservation projects in the future.           Appendices:  Appendix A – NAWCA grant award Statement  Appendix B – closing statement and deed for Grant Meadow III land transaction  Appendix C – project management –volunteer hour log  - Michael Wright, GWRLT, BOD  Appendix D – Town of Berwick warrant and $10,000 award to assists in the purchase and conservation of Beaver Dam Heath/GM III  Appendix E – press releases            6Appendix A    7Appendix B     8               9Appendix C   Time sheet for work on the Grant’s Meadow III project.  Michael Wright    Date:    Activity:              Hours:  11/4/10 –       Develop slide show and prepare hand out  10 12/04/10      materials for selectmen.  12/09/10  Presentation of slide show to Berwick     2                      Planning Board.  8 people present.  12/21/10  Revision to slideshow and presentation to    2    Berwick Board of Selectmen meeting.  Request article on town meeting warrant for $10,000 to  support purchase of Grant’s Meadow III property.     17 people present.  1/30/11  Develop posters and promotional informa-   7    tion for Cross country ski and snowshoe tour     of Grant’s Meadow III/Beaver Dam Heath.    Clear and blaze trail.  2/05/11  Host cross country ski and snowshoe event.    4    23 people present.   2/10/11  Prepare material for Grant’s Meadow III    2    poster for Great Works Regional Land Trust    annual meeting.  3/08/11  Present Grant’s Meadow III poster and  2 advocate for article on town meeting warrant  for purchase of Grant’s Meadow III at Town Budget workshop. 46 people present.    3/18/11  Site walk with members of the Berwick Hussey 2    10School PTO to plan Story Walk event at Grant’s  Meadow III site for grades k-4.    . 3/28/11 Present slide shoe to Boy Scout Troop 312   2  and discuss opportunities for scouts on   Grant’s meadow III property.  10 people present.  3/29/11 Attend Public Hearing and advocate for Grant’s 2  Meadow III article.  Selectmen include article  and recommend YES vote,  35 people present.  4/03/11 Clear and flag trail to set up Story Walk.    3 Write press release for event.    4/09/11  Set up Grant’s Meadow III information  1    for Story Walk.  4/12/11  Revise slide show and develop informational  3 materials for talk to Girl Scout Neighborhood Meeting.  Present show.  23 people present.  4/21/11  Prepare slide show and information for public 4    meeting on preserving farmland and open space     in Berwick, emphasizing the Grant’s Meadow     project and upcoming vote at town meeting.      Press release and mailings to targeted land owners.  4/27/11  Host public meeting at town hall.  28 people  3  present.  5/4&5/11  Hand out fliers for Grant’s Meadow III vote at 4    Berwick Transfer Station.  5/10/11  Voters approve article to appropriate &10,000    towards the purchase of Grant’s Meadow III.  8/03/11  Met with appraiser concerning Grant’s   2 Meadow III.  8/17/11  Host fundraiser for Grant’s Meadow III  4    11   at Berwick’s Hackmatack Playhouse.  9/11/11  Survey Grant’s Meadow III site for    4    environmental hazards. 9/18/11  Met with Scout Master of Troop 313 and  3    two Eagle Scout candidates to walk and plan trail projects at Grant’s Meadow site.  9/26/11  Met with forester to walk Grant’s Meadow  3  site and discuss timber management plans for Grant’s Meadow site.                                 12 Appendix D            TOWN OF BERWICK P.O. BOX 696 BERWICK, ME 03901 207-698-1101         October 25, 2011  To Whom it May Concern:  Please be advised that the Town of Berwick awarded the Great Works Regional Land Trust $10,000.00 by vote of its Town Meeting on May 10, 2011.  A check number 27577 was sent to Great Works Regional Land Trust on September 13, 2011.                 Janet D. Canney        Town of Berwick        Finance Director               13Appendix E       14        15   

Protecting a Portion of the Beaver Dam Heath Conservation Focus Area and Initiating Innovative Conservation Financing in Berwick, Maine

https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=prep

Protecting a Portion of the Beaver Dam Heath Conservation Focus Area and Initiating Innovative Conservation Financing in Berwick, Maine

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UNH Scholars' Repository