www.lelt.org

Protecting land for future generations

peabody-fitch woods

A Loon Echo ConnectivityForest Project

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View from the proposed property looking towards the White Mountains.

What is the project?Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) proposes to acquire 252 forested acres in Bridgton, Maine to expand existing conserved land, preserve a historic farm, and to create a managed recreational forest.

Why is this project important?This project is important because it preserves a historic property, adjacent to Narramissic Farm, protects forest-land, protects plant and animal habitat, helps provide clean drinking water, builds a connected landscape, and enhances recreational opportunities.

What is connectivity and why is it important?Connectivity is a concept that recognizes that habitats and species function best as part of a large, intercon-nected network. The more connected the landscape, the more species are able to adjust to changes in the environment.

These 252 acres are contiguous with the Perley Mills Community Forest (PMCF) to the west. PMCF is a 1600 acre community forest LELT protected and then gave to the towns of Denmark and Sebago while retain-ing a conservation easement to ensure its protection.

Who are the project partners?This project will be done in conjunction with Bridgton Historical Society, Sebago Clean Waters, and the Portland Water District.

What is the history of the property?The Peabody-Fitch Farm was established before the Civil War. In 1938, Mrs. Margaret M. Monroe from Providence, Rhode Island, purchased the property to

“Temperance” Barn (called so because it was constructed without any libational celebration)

Bridgton Historical Society’s statement concerning the impact of development near the historic Narramissic Farm

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One of the most important components of Narramissic’s historic significance is its isolation from contemporary architectural and landscape features. In 1996 WMTW-TV proposed the construction of a 1,500 foot broad-casting tower on Bald Pate Mountain that would have been clearly visible looming over the fields behind the house. At that time we raised objections to its impact on Narramissic and the South Bridgton neighborhood and supported Loon Echo Land Trust’s campaign that led to the establishment of the Bald Pate Mountain Preserve.

Residential development on adjacent land would provide a similarly intrusive presence. One of the main reasons for building a house on this land would be to take advantage of its spectacular mountain views. To get those views, one would have to either build on the edge of the farm’s fields, or clear large portions of the woods. Either way, houses and access roads would be in view and impinge on the farm’s historical integrity.

It would also severely impact our programming and fu-

use as a summer home. After her death in 1986, the farmstead was left to the Bridgton Historical Society. Her descendants, the Normann family, retained ownership of the 252 forested acres surrounding the farmstead.

ture plans. Currently, we have access to all of the original farmstead. The layout of the stone walls and patterns of vegetation and tree growth preserve evidence of past land use that would be destroyed by the building of new roads and houses. Furthermore, we do not know of any other publicly-accessible historic property in the region that includes the source of the granite for the building foun-dations; we have developed a historic hike to this quarry that is available as both a guided tour and self-guiding handout, and we are developing an online version of it. Residential development of this land would clearly undermine such activities and threaten the important and special nature of Narramissic.

For all these reasons, it is the intention of the Historical Society to grant a recreational access agreement for parking and a trail to access the Peabody-Fitch Woods for the mutual benefit of the Bridgton Historical Society, Loon Echo Land Trust, and the general public.

Ned Allen, Executive Director, Bridgton Historical Society

What other conserved lands are nearby?The property is in close proximity to other conserved lands that protect habitat and water quality in the Sebago Lake watershed:

A. Five Fields Farm is the closest, non-abutting conservation parcel (0.14 mi to the east) and is a 205-acre conservation easement held by the Maine Farmland Trust.

B. Bald Pate Preserve, a 495-acre preserve owned by LELT, is less than half a mile away to the southeast. The preserve protects an open summit that affords sweeping views of the region and features a rare pitch pine forest.

C. The Town of Bridgton owns two woodlots, one to the southeast which is 0.75 miles away, and one to the east 1.6 miles away.

D. Sebago Headwaters Preserve, owned by LELT, is within a mile and is composed of two separate parcels totaling approximately 360 acres.

E. Holt Pond Preserve, This preserve is 1.25 miles away to the east at its closest.

1 Sebago Lake: State of the Lake Report. Portland Water District, 2015. Pg. 4. https://www.pwd.org/sites/default/files/state_of_the_lake_re-port_-_2015_-_web.pdf

What are the natural features of the property?The property is located on a generally unbroken forested landscape in South Bridgton. The forested terrain grad-ually slopes gently north. The forest is low to moderately stocked and is dominated by white pine, hemlock, beech and red oak, with lesser amounts of birch, maple, ash and fir.

How does this project protect our drinking water?Protecting forestland is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to get clean drinking water. “Forests produce great water quality because they have multiple ways of stop-ping pollutants from getting into water bodies. First, the forest canopy slows rainfall which prevents large surges of rainwater from eroding soil and carrying it to the lake or to streams that feed the lake. Water that lands on the for-est floor is absorbed by the leaf litter layer and absorbed into the ground where it is taken up by the roots of trees and other plants in the forest.”1

The Peabody-Fitch Woods will help cleanse water for both Sebago Lake, including the 200,000 residents in the greater Portland area, and the Saco River. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the woods is in the Sebago Lake watershed and 25% is in the Saco River watershed.

What recreational opportunities will there be?The current owners of the land, the Normann family, have allowed the public to hunt, walk, hike, snowmobile, and drive ATVs on their land, and the family would like those uses to continue. Existing trails are rough, but LELT plans to improve them so that this forest becomes a prime recreational area for the public.

Peaboy-Fitch Woods with Conserved Lands

The path from the farmstead into the woods gives visitors an elevated view of the region’s forests, notably the Perley Mills Community Forest, as well the White Mountains, and the western mountains of Maine, including Pleasant Mountain.

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What does the project cost?Loon Echo has until 12/31/18 to raise the funds to purchase the property.

2 Loon Echo Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Gifts made to this campaign will fund the purchase of the property; project related ex-penses; and the establishment of a reserve account to support the ongoing maintenance of this property, other LELT properties, and the mission of LELT. LELT’s Board recognizes its responsibility to be a careful administrator of all such funds. If the purchase of this property is not realized as a result of this campaign, donors will be notified and may then choose to have their gifts returned to them or applied to another LELT purpose.

How can I help?You can make a donation to the project. This can be done online here: www.lelt.org/pfw, or you can mail us a check to: Loon Echo Land Trust, 8 Depot St, Suite 4, Bridgton, ME 04009. All donations are eligible for tax deductibility.2

About Loon Echo Land TrustLoon Echo is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 1987 by community members who saw the need to preserve the natural areas of the region. Throughout the years, we have worked with area residents, businesses, and organizations to protect land through conservation easements, land purchases, and land donations. With approximately 6,700 acres under protection, we continue to maintain our lands and multi-use trail systems for the benefit of the public. We proudly serve the towns of Bridgton, Casco, Denmark, Naples, Harrison, Sebago, and Raymond.

For more information please contact: Thomas Perkins, Executive Director

Loon Echo Land Trust8 Depot Street, Suite 4Bridgton, ME 04009execdir@lelt.org207-647-4352

Our mission: Loon Echo Land Trust protects land in the northern Sebago Lake region of Maine to conserve its natural resources and character for future generations.

Project Budget Appraisal & purchase cost $250,000

Stewardship fund for future maintenance $45,000

Due diligence/survey fees $15,000

Parking lot, trails and signage $12,000

Forest and management plans $2,000

total 324,000

View from the boundary between the P-F Woods and the farm fields.

Historic granite quarry. Historic granite quarry.