Winter 2006
Five Stellar Islands Conserved
Sand Island, Deer Isle Thorofare
Sand Island off Stonington is a popular picnicking destination with a fine shell beach that lures area residents and passing boaters. For more than four decades, the island’s two owners—Steve Ives and Junius Hoffman—allowed public use of their undeveloped 10-acre property, and periodically brought their own families to picnic. If the island were held in conservation ownership, owner Steve Ives reasoned, then their families and the broader public could continue enjoying the place for generations to come. He found unanimous consent when he broached this idea with his children: “we all felt immediately that it was the right thing to do,” says his daughter Cathy Cornell. Having put the island’s conservation foremost, both families agreed to sell the island to MCHT for approximately 20 percent of its appraised value. “This was a chance for us to do something good for everyone—for now and for the future,” Cornell reflects.
MCHT will work to integrate this island and newly acquired Bill’s Island into its growing network of conserved lands in the Merchant Row archipelago (which includes Saddleback, Nathan, Green, The Fort, and Eastern Mark islands).
Bill’s Island, Merchant Row
Bill’s Island, just north of Isle au Haut, encompasses 12 acres of meadows and woods rimmed by granite ledge. Mary M.B. (Polly) Wakefield owned Bill’s Island for more than three decades until her death last year. “Polly and my father loved Bill’s Island,” observes her stepdaughter Joan Millspaugh. “It was for them a sacred place, a haven, a jewel.” Mrs. Wakefield’s properties went into a charitable trust last year and the trustees sought an owner who would respect Mrs. Wakefield’s wish to have the island remain a natural haven. “Polly was trained as a landscape architect,” notes her stepdaughter Betsy Doermann, “and her whole life was devoted to the protection of natural landscapes.” Knowing that Mrs. Wakefield had respect for Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Wakefield trustees decided to donate the island to MCHT. “The island is a glorious setting for communing with nature, and Polly wanted people to enjoy its magnificent beauty,” says Tom Belknap, one of the Wakefield trustees. “We sought to transfer the island in a way that complied with Mrs. Wakefield’s desires for the place.” Immediately after the transfer of title, MCHT filed a Declaration of Trust (a written commitment recorded at the Registry of Deeds) as a second layer of protection over the island, ensuring that Bill’s will remain natural and open to the public.
An easement donated to Maine Coast Heritage Trust will sustain the wild beauty of Big Baker Island (foreground). Rich Knox
Big Baker Island, Swans Island
A conservation easement donated to MCHT now protects Big (or Outer) Baker Island, an undeveloped 24-acre island with an attractive mix of spruce woods and some open areas. The island lies off Swans Island just south of Inner Baker Island, an MCHT preserve since 1998. Irving Forbes, whose father purchased Big Baker in 1929, has generously allowed gentle community use of the island for decades (since he and his sister Florence Locke inher ited the island in 1964). He has maintained a mile-long perimeter trail around the island that is enjoyed by local picnickers and walkers, as well as the Outward Bound students and Maine Island Trail Association members that Forbes permits to camp on Big Baker.
The voluntary conservation agree ment will keep the island undeveloped (except for limited tent platforms) and guarantees continued daytime public access. “I’m 83 and not going to last forever,” Forbes says. “As long as MCHT is watching over the island, I think it’s in pretty good shape.” Forbes is transferring title to the island to his sons Douglas and Ebenezer. “The island has meant a lot to me and my sons. I’m glad to know that it will be available still to the public—so they can enjoy the island as they have in the past.”
Bald eagles enjoy optimal habitat for nesting on newly conserved Crow Island in the Muscle Ridge archipelago. Bill Silliker, Jr.
Crow Island, Muscle Ridge and Two Bush Island, Matinicus
MCHT has ensured permanent protection of Crow Island at the southernmost end of the Muscle Ridge archipelago and Two Bush Island, a top-ranked seabird- nesting island frequented by eiders, gulls and guillemots. The Island Institute transferred both these islands to MCHT, concluding that they should be owned and managed by a land trust since the Institute’s mission now focuses primarily on sustaining island communities and working waterfronts.
Bald eagles have nested on 10-acre Crow Island for decades and, according to Charlie Todd, a biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, “the eagles have a stellar history of above-average nesting success and eaglet production. They have nested actively during 14 of the last 16 years,” he notes, “suc cessfully hatched on 12 occasions, and contributed 19 fledgling eaglets to the recovering eagle population over this period.”
After Maine’s eagle population hit its lowest ebb in the early 1970s, Crow Island was one of the first nesting areas to be established in West Penobscot Bay. “The eagles tend to select optimal habitats first,” Todd explains, “and Crow Island remains a strategic site. Their original nest fell in 1995 but the eagles soon rebuilt it and the new nest is now about 7 feet in diameter.” Extending his congratulations to MCHT for ensuring this island’s protection, Todd adds “conservation of Crow Island sets the stage for decades of future use by successive generations of nesting eagles.”
Renewed Commitments: President’s Column
by Jay Espy
Not long ago, a developer from out of state called me about a property he was interested in on the Maine coast. During our conversation, he mentioned that he’s buying as much land as he can up here because “Maine is still so undervalued.” While coastal prices in the latest real estate boom seem exorbitant to many of us, people from other parts of the country clearly see Maine land as a great (and affordable) investment.
His offhand remark illustrates the powerful forces that are making land conservation more difficult and expensive. How, in the face of these, can we continue achieving our goals? Maine Coast Heritage Trust just spent more than a year exploring this question–assessing threats and opportunities, reviewing pressing issues, and reflecting on our values, mission and vision. We came out of this intensive process, not only with a strategic plan to guide us in the coming five years, but with a renewed appreciation for the importance of innovation, collaboration and focused effort.
MCHT was one of the first land trusts in the country to pioneer use of conservation easements in the 1970s, and our willingness to innovate helped establish easements as a vital land protection tool nationwide. MCHT continues to take bold steps to advance conservation efforts— like our ambitious Campaign for the Coast. To ensure that we keep pace with changing land uses and demographic trends, the Trust is committed to developing innovative conservation methods in coming years. We are also seeking new ways to protect lands that foster sustainable economic growth (whether through farming, sustainable forestry or sensitive forms of ecotourism).
MCHT plans to be more active in the communities where we have major holdings, assisting with local needs and encouraging residents to experience our preserves. We expect to see more volunteers and supporters emerge at the local level—people who appreciate how much conserved lands enhance their quality of life. The Trust also plans to work more closely with towns and partner groups on land planning efforts, particularly those involving smart growth and regional cooperation. Our longstanding collaboration with local land trusts is likely to deepen in the years ahead as we support expanded training opportunities and capacity building for our local partners.
With land values and the costs of conservation rising, more of the Trust’s coastwide efforts must center on landscape-scale projects that protect multiple parcels in settings with significant ecological, scenic and recreational assets. Over time, this approach should help weave a fabric of conserved lands that compliments the built environment and allows the Maine coast to retain its unique and irreplaceable character.
Our dedicated board and staff, by taking time to think strategically about the future, have crafted a clear vision to guide the Trust through the challenges of the coming years. With effective partnerships, clear priorities and a willingness to embrace new tools, I am confident that we can save Maine’s priceless natural places.
Land in Print: MCHT works with Photographer Paul Rezendes
Last summer, professional photographer Paul Rezendes did a marathon assignment along the Maine coast, spending much of his time taking images of MCHT preserves. Rezendes concentrates on landscape photography, and his work is routinely featured in books, calendars and magazines like Down East. He sailed the coast for nearly two months, traveling from the Isles of Shoals east to Pleasant Bay (off Milbridge). Along the way, Rezendes stopped at more than 10 MCHT preserves and 28 conserved properties to capture images for use in Trust publications. “This was the best assignment I’ve ever had,” Rezendes reflects, “because it focused entirely on land conservation. That’s where my heart is. It was so wonderful to be working with people of the same mind and heart.”
Rich Knox, MCHT’s Director of Communications, coordinated the photo assignment with Rezendes. “Paul is a true craftsman and has a deep appreciation for the Maine coast and the work of MCHT,” Knox observes. “We’re looking forward to featuring Paul’s work in upcoming publications.” Rezendes used primarily large format, “4 x 5” inch transparencies, assuring excellent resolution and photo quality. Look for some of his images in MCHT’s 2005 Annual Report, due out late in the Spring!
Stewardship in the Field: Contributing to Place
Ongoing stewardship of MCHT preserves requires a daunting array of tasks—from ecological monitoring and trail maintenance to trash cleanups and educational outreach. This workload is lightened by dedicated volunteers who step forward to care for a particular preserve.
The ways that people contribute to preserve stewardship are as varied as the properties themselves. Some supporters, like Marnie and Ken Crowell of Stonington, keep an eye on numerous conservation properties. As trained naturalists, the Crowells have informally monitored islands off Stonington since 1962—tracking bird populations, noting changing conditions and collecting debris. They support all the conservation groups in the area and encourage them to collaborate since, in Marnie’s words, “there’s a connected net of people caring for the islands, including many area fishermen.” The Crowells see “outreach as the invisible arm of stewardship,” and work to inform community members about the ecological value of islands.
Volunteers who visit one preserve frequently can help to relay important information to Trust staff. MCHT’s Hamilton Cove Preserve benefits from having North Lubec resident Michael Bozoian visit several times each week throughout the year. Bozoian enjoys how “ there’s always something new to observe,” and he reports to MCHT’s downeast stewardship assistant Melissa Lee on matters that need attention. “It’s a privilege to help Melissa,” he says, of the additional work he’s done to repair the Preserve’s bog bridges.
Ongoing stewardship work offers volunteers a way to simultaneously enjoy and support a treasured place. Nik DeMaria, who grew up near Aldermere Farm (now an MCHT preserve), soon found himself back at the Farm when he returned to his home community after decades away. Nik uses his computer skills to support farm staff, while the rest of his family assists with MCHT mailings, sap-to-syrup walks and the annual art auction. “We want our kids to learn to give and be part of things,” DeMaria says. “Our work at the Farm offers a nice way to give back to a beautiful place and great people.”
Another Aldermere volunteer, Bill Peace, works routinely in summer months greeting visitors at the Farm’s visitor center. It’s a role, he says, that allows him to meet a lot of interesting people and share his passion for the place: “I love the farm and my enthusiasm comes across to people. The more I learned about Aldermere’s history and mission,” he adds, “the more I became attached to the Farm.”
Some conservation-minded landowners transfer their properties to MCHT but remain engaged in the land’s ongoing care as volunteer stewards. Since Steve Ives and his co-owners donated Calderwood Island to the Trust in 1997, Ives and his family have spent many hours continuing to clip juniper and spruce—keeping trails and meadow areas open. The job has grown more difficult with the spread of woody shrubs: “I don’t know too many people who will climb through the nasty stuff to trim young spruce,” Ives says. “I still do it, but in a more limited way now that I’m 81.” Ives plans to continue caring for Sand Island as well, which he recently transferred to MCHT. He and his family have done annual shore cleanups on Sand for years, and he values that tradition. “It’s not our island anymore,” Ives reflects, “but we still care.”
Kingsbury Browne, Jr., 1922-2005
Kingsbury Browne, Jr., a well-known conservationist and tax lawyer, died recently in Kennebunkport, Maine. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Browne became an expert in conservation and land use, spearheading the formation in 1982 of the Land Trust Exchange (later the Land Trust Alliance) and serving as LTA’s general counsel for years. “Kingsbury was one of those rare people whose huge heart matched his enormous intellect,” reflects MCHT President Jay Espy. “Despite his many commitments, Kingsbury always made time to mentor even the most inexperienced recruits to the land trust movement. His vision and his kindness helped to launch the modern era of land conservation in America.” Memorial gifts in Browne’s name can be made to your local land trust or LTA.
More Land for Maine’s Future
On November 8, Maine voters renewed their strong support for the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program. The Question 5 ballot results demonstrated Maine citizens’ continued commitment to land conservation: 65 percent of voters statewide supported the LMF bond, with at least 55 percent support for the measure within each of Maine’s 16 counties. MCHT worked closely with many other organizations to complete this year’s successful LMF campaign. Thanks to all who played a part in securing this important Election Day victory by volunteering, contributing and voting. The LMF board hopes to invest the $10 million that was approved as soon as possible. They have set a February proposal deadline and plan to announce award recipients in May. In addition, the board and the Department of Marine Resources are developing a pilot program for appropriating the $2 million set aside for working waterfront preservation. MCHT will track these developments and will work closely with other LMF supporters during the upcoming legislative session to assess future funding opportunities. For more information on LMF activities, please contact Jeff Romano, MCHT’s public policy coordinator, at jromano@mcht.org.
