WINTHROP — The Kennebec Land Trust has acquired two new properties: the 132-acre North Acres Wildlife Conservation Area in Manchester, and a 36-acre addition to the Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat, which will now conserve 366 acres.
Just outside of Augusta in a region with increasing development pressure, the ecologically diverse North Acres Wildlife Conservation Area was donated by Trudie Lee and Deb Plengey in 2021. The property features cold water brooks, valuable wetlands, productive hayfields and conifer and hardwood woodlands. When combined with their 2020 conservation easement with the Maine Farmland Trust, the donation of North Acres creates a 200-acre conservation property that will forever benefit Maine’s wildlife, as well as current and future generations of farmers.
Longtime residents of Manchester, Trudie Lee’s parents bought North Acres in 1962, when they were still farming on Western Avenue. Lee and Plengey will continue to harvest hay on the land, as they have for many decades. North Acres will also provide low-impact recreational opportunities for the public, including hiking, snowmobiling, hunting, skiing and nature observation.
“We give this land to KLT in memory of Ruth and Richard Lee and William and Carolyn Plengey. May the wildlife thrive and the community continue to enjoy its diversity and beauty,” Lee and Plengey said.
The public is invited to attend the dedication of the North Acres Wildlife Conservation Area at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 28. For more information including directions, visit www.tklt.org.
The new 36-acre Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat parcel was formerly owned by longtime Vassalboro residents Maybelle L. Dean and her family. The Dean family contacted KLT in 2021 about conservation options for the land, which borders the trust’s property on the north, east and south.
With the addition, the Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat now conserves 336 acres. It protects a large contiguous area of important plant and wildlife habitat, including more than a mile on both sides of a stream that flows into Seven Mile Stream and the Kennebec River. In addition to the bargain sale from the Dean family, KLT received financial support from many residents of Vassalboro and members of the Webber Pond Association.
The trails at the Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat provide a safe and beautiful place for walking, cross-country skiing, birding, and fishing, including access to half a mile of shoreline on Webber Pond.
With these acquisitions, KLT has conserved over 7,500 acres, with fifty-five miles of trails that are open to the public for outdoor recreation. For more information visit www.tklt.org.
Article Source: https://www.turnerpublishing.net/news/2022/04/06/kennebec-land-trust-preserves-manchester-vassalboro-parcels/