Sheep and Eagle Islands Preserved!
A wonderful thing happened on June 24th. Actually, two wonderful things.
A pair of island gems at the intersection of Blue Hill Bay, Casco Passage and Jericho Bay are now forever protected, thanks to conservation easements donated by their owners.
The islands in question are Sheep (18 acres) and Eagle (6 acres), and they are crucial components of a scenic and wildlife-rich archipelago including Black, Opeechee, Pond and Johns Islands (all of which have some level of protection, thanks to conservation easements held by Acadia National Park).
That’s Sheep on the left, and Eagle on the right.
These donations didn’t just happen overnight - they took a lot of time, effort and forethought by the two islands’ owners. First, Peter Blanchard III and the family of the late T. Courtenay Jenkins, Jr. worked together to unify the ownership of each island — Peter now owns Sheep Island in its entirety; the Jenkins Family now owns all of Eagle Island. With that step taken care of, these generous folks created easements preserving each island from any future development (other than a tent platform on Eagle). We’ve also been granted the right to allow daytime access on Sheep Island.
The Sheep and Eagle Island easements exemplify the strong tradition of voluntary conservation by families and individuals who act on their love for the unspoiled nature of the Maine Coast. They do this because they understand, as Peter Blanchard puts it, that these are “very magical” places.
What’s especially nice about the Jenkins and Blanchard easements is that they’re emblematic of a resurgence in conservation donations to Maine Coast Heritage Trust this year. As of June, we’ve had six outright gifts of land or easements (and purchased two properties from owners who agreed to substantial discounts from market value), out of a total of 13 projects. Such donations have helped MCHT keep pace with our 2008 conservation totals, despite today’s much tougher economy.
Of course, donor generosity takes many forms, and the families who’ve given Maine Coast Heritage Trust land or conservation easements this year are part of a much broader community of givers. Some of our supporters have contributed to MCHT every year for the past two decades or more. Others — over 200 families this Spring — made their first gift to MCHT or came back to us after some years off. Many also donate their time and wisdom as MCHT board or council members, or volunteers.
So here’s to Peter Blanchard and the Jenkins family! There may not be any more sheep out on Sheep Island, but there are plenty of eagles, seals, warblers and other Maine wildlife out at Sheep and Eagle. Thanks to these generous conservation donors, that’s the way it’s going to stay.
Paul Gallay
President, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
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