Fall 2009
MCHT Conserves International Landmark
Treat Island is one of the most significant coastal islands in easternmost Maine, lying at the gateway of Cobscook and Passamaquoddy bays. The 73-acre island sits along the international border, an attractive focal point highly visible from Eastport, Lubec, and Roosevelt Campobello International Park in New Brunswick.
This fall, Maine Coast Heritage Trust purchased the two privately owned halves of Treat Island from families that for decades have cared well for their lands. “Both families were excellent partners dedicated to the project,” notes MCHT project manager Marty Anderson. “They felt that Treat was a natural fit for conservation, and they understood the importance of conserving both halves of the island simultaneously.”
Treat Island has an interesting cultural history, dating back to when early tribal travelers stopped by the island to harvest the area’s rich resources. The island contains the burial site of a former island owner and Revolutionary War hero, Colonel John Allan, who served as Military Commander of the Eastern Area (District of Maine) under General George Washington. Col. Allan defended eastern Maine against the British by mobilizing settlers and gaining the support and trust of the Passamaquoddy Tribe. Allan continued his close relationship with the Tribe following the War, establishing a trading post on the island. “He was a friend of the Passamaquoddy Tribe,” notes Tribal historian Donald Soctomah, “providing support in treaty obligations by reminding the President and Congress about the services of the Tribe. The Passamaquoddy Tribal Historic Preservation Office thanks Maine Coast Heritage Trust for its hard work saving this important place of tribal history and national history.”
While the island is largely undeveloped now, Treat supported farming families for generations and served other uses as well. There are remains of an artillery gun battery constructed in the 1860s to repel Confederate raiders. A tidal dike built in the 1930s stretches to Dudley Island, part of a failed tidal power project that sought to harness the 70 billion cubic feet of water that flow in and out of Passamaquoddy Bay daily. A dock built in 1936 as a Natural Weathering Exposure Station for testing marine concrete still stands on a 3-acre parcel owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Treat Island is readily accessible from Lubec and Eastport, with several natural boat landings that provide access to a traditional picnic destination at the island’s southern end. Even those who never land appreciate views of the island from afar, notes Harold Bailey, Natural Resource and Planning Manager with Roosevelt Campobello International Park. “The Park has an observation deck at Friar Head that looks directly out to Treat Island,” Bailey says. “The Park Commission is pleased to know that this natural vista will remain through time.”
Part of what makes the island such a visual asset is its varied upland habitats, with coniferous and hardwood forests, marshes, grassland, shrub land and open ledges. This diversity also makes Treat a rich resource for the area’s abundant wildlife. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has designated Treat a nationally significant coastal nesting island, and one pair of bald eagles has nested consistently on the island for 21 years (using three different sites). The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has documented up to 30 eagles on the island at once when local food is abundant.
“Treat Island is a place on the edge,” says Anderson. “It lies at the entrance to one of the richest wildlife areas along the entire Eastern seaboard, at the far end of the country, and on the leading edge of American history. Yet the island is readily accessible to surrounding communities, and now it will remain a public asset far into the future.”
President’s Column
More than the Sum of the Parts
We have many cooperative projects underway that are delivering great benefits to Maine communities. It’s been gratifying to have these initiatives gaining public attention: an editorial in the September 19 Bangor Daily News commended our work, noting that “the template MCHT is following—working with locals while aiming to preserve properties that are important to all of Maine—is a good example for others to follow.” Several projects highlighted in this edition of Maine Heritage demonstrate the creativity and the collaboration with landowners and communities that underlie our fundamental approach to land protection.
The conservation of Treat Island, a scenic landmark along the Canadian border enjoyed by area residents, hinged on the cooperation of five landowners in two families that shared ownership of the island. We often say our work depends upon “willing landowners”—to emphasize the voluntary choice people make to protect their land. But staff members have far more effusive descriptions for the landowners with whom we work—noting how far-sighted, generous, and community-minded they are. We’re continually impressed by their dedication—working with us (and often, in shared ownership situations, with each other) for the greater good of place.
That collaborative spirit is evident at an even larger scale in projects like the Old Pond community pathway, an exciting initiative in which three conser- vation organizations—Crabtree Neck Land Trust, Frenchman Bay Conservancy and Maine Coast Heritage Trust—have joined forces with the Town of Hancock, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (which holds two easements in the area), Hancock Homes, and numerous area residents (including Eagle Scouts Evan Fortier, Jeremiah Burch and Ben Wildes). It’s easy to see how the quality of life in Hancock will improve with creation of a new 3-mile walking path allowing community members to reach town-owned shorefront. This pro- ject has involved complex land trades and easement negotiations, but a spirit of cooperation has prevailed—creating a “Whole Place” that is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.
The cooperation evident in the Old Pond Whole Place extends into the financial realm as well. MCHT will soon receive a $65,000 award through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), helping acquire a forever-wild easement on shorefront bird habitat along Young’s Bay. MCHT made this successful application with a matching grant provided by Crabtree Neck Land Trust, and generous in-kind donations from landowners Vera and Vivian Foss, whose family has cared for this land since 1926.
What’s most remarkable about the cooperation and creativity evident in these projects is that they’re not exceptions to the rule. Most of MCHT’s conservation projects involve visionary landowners and collaborators giving their best efforts to the task. These partners are what make each Whole Place, and each completed project, so much greater than the sum of the parts.
Malaga Island Becomes a Maine Freedom Trail Site
In partnership with the nonprofit organization Maine Freedom Trails, Inc., Maine Coast Heritage Trust hosted a ceremony in August dedicating its Malaga Island Preserve in eastern Casco Bay as a Maine Freedom Trail site. The 42-acre Malaga Island was home to a mixed-race community for more than three decades before the State of Maine forcibly removed residents in 1912 due to racial prejudice and other pressures. Maine Coast Heritage Trust was able to acquire the entire island in 2001, thanks to the generosity of the previous landowner.
“Having Malaga Island a Maine Freedom Trail site will remind people of the compelling and tragic story of those who lived there,” observes Rachel Talbot Ross, President of Maine Freedom Trails, Inc. and the Portland branch of the NAACP. “We're grateful the Trust conserved Malaga Island so it will always be a place where people can come and connect with this important chapter of Maine's history.”
In recent years, the Trust has worked in partnership with the University of Southern Maine, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, the Portland Branch of the NAACP, Maine Freedom Trails, Inc., and others to promote Malaga's cultural history. For more on this island’s complex history, see “Malaga Island: An Overview of its Natural and Cultural History” on MCHT’s website.
Cape Shore Foundation Supports MCHT with Road Race Proceeds
Cape Shore Foundation, a nonprofit charitable trust established in 2007, held a 5K road race in Brighton, Massachusetts, late in August and generously donated all the race proceeds to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Formed by four friends in their late 20s who grew up together in Cape Elizabeth, the foundation is “committed to preserving the natural habitats of New England, from the reaches of the Great North Woods to the fisheries of Narragansett Bay.” The Trustees seek to sustain the region’s beauty and integrity, recognizing that they had had a blessed life growing up in Maine. This year marked their second annual road race, and members voted unanimously to give their proceeds to MCHT because they appreciated the Trust’s coastal land protection work and help supporting local land trusts around Maine. Foundation trustees dropped by MCHT's Topsham office to deliver their check along with a card expressing their sentiments: “We think what you’re doing is so important… the Maine coast is a very special place [and] we’re comforted to know that you’re working hard to keep it that way. Good luck!”
Stewardship: Getting out in the Field
Maine Coast Heritage Trust more than tripled its field trips offerings this year, with 45 programs ranging from preserve tours to night walks and day-long island explorations. Programs were all free (except those involving boat fares), and participants could show up without advance reservations. “The goal,” says Kirk Gentalen, the Trust’s Regional Steward who led many trips, “was to get more people outdoors seeing the incredible places MCHT has protected.”
Despite consistently wet weather in June and July, more than 300 participants attended trips and were excited by what they saw and learned. “Those who did come,” Gentalen says, “got to learn some natural history, and see some fascinating slime molds in the endless damp days of early summer!” More popular sightings were bald eagle chicks (seen through a spotting scope at Western Head) and a merlin catching dragonflies repeatedly at Boot Head.
Some people turned out for a single program, while others returned for several—bringing friends and family along. Even those who had explored the Trust’s preserves on their own came out to share in the hikes and learn from experienced naturalists.
Planning is underway for the 2010 summer season, and MCHT will begin offering more year-round opportunities starting in January (with snowshoe treks during midwinter months). “We may modify our system next year,” Gentalen says, “with some free programs and some fee programs that require advance registration. Our goal is to have varied options in terms of trip length, type of activity, and themes so everyone can find some programs well-suited to their interests and needs.”
Check our website early in 2010 for more details on upcoming trips!
MCHT Seeks National Accreditation
Maine Coast Heritage Trust is pleased to announce that it is applying for land trust accreditation, a program recognizing organizations that meet national standards for permanently protecting important natural places and working lands. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, reviews each applicant’s policies and programs carefully to determine whether the trust should be accredited.
The Commission’s review includes an assessment of public comments.
To comment on MCHT’s application, please provide a signed letter with your perspectives on the Trust’s compliance with indicator practices, national standards addressing ethical practices and technical operations—see full list on the Land Trust Accreditation website. Comments may be faxed (518-587-3183) or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 112 Spring Street, Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Please submit comments by December 27, 2009.
To learn more about the accreditation program, visit: www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
Staff News
Thanks and Farewell
This fall, two capable staff members who have served MCHT well are moving on to new challenges. Megan Shore, who coordinated the Maine Land Trust Program since 2001, has become Grants Manager with the Elmina Sewall Foundation in Brunswick. Megan was instrumental in growing the Maine Land Trust Network and MCHT’s Land Conservation Conference and in launching initiatives like the Circuit Rider Program and Land Trust Excellence Program. Katherine Birnie, after serving two years as an energetic and capable leader of MCHT’s Conservation Innovations Program, is assuming a new role in the conservation finance field, working for Ecosystems Investment Partners, a land-based investment fund in Maryland. “We’re deeply sorry to lose Katherine and Megan,” reflects MCHT President Paul Gallay. “They have both been such effective, admired and well-liked members of the staff.”
Welcome
The Trust welcomes four new staff members, all of whom bring great experience and enthusiasm to their new roles.
Steven Hufnagel will serve Southern Maine as a Project Manager and advance the Trust’s coastwide effort to incorporate community priorities into land acquisition and conservation planning. Steven holds an MA in Natural Resource Policy and worked for the past six years as Director of Lands and Stewardship with the Damariscotta River Association, helping make its preserves more visible and accessible.
Jed Beach, an avid and experienced gardener, farmer and educator, has begun work as Program Assistant at Aldermere Farm, helping out with initiatives in sustainable community agriculture. Jed worked most recently as Assistant Director at Natick Community Farm in Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agrarian Studies and an MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability.
Suzanne Telfeian, MCHT’s new Development Director, brings extensive experience in fundraising, having worked in private and nonprofit sectors in Maine, California and Nevada. Sue has served as Associate Director of Philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy (Maine Chapter) and as Executive Director of Loon Echo Land Trust in Bridgton.
Marj Whitman, MCHT’s new Development Assistant, has extensive experience in corporate and non-profit settings. Marj came to MCHT from Bowdoin College, where she was the Recruiting Coordinator in the Career Planning Department.
