MLT Oct News - Mahoosuc Land Trust

President’s Message
If you have driven out of Bethel on Route 26 in the last few
weeks, you have probably noticed the cutting on the hillside on
the far side of Sunset Ave. As part of the purchase of the Gateway extension, we negotiated a view easement that allows the
landowner across Sunset to cut some of the trees on the extension. As part of the agreement, the resulting field must be stumped,
graded and seeded. With the help of the landowner, forester Don
Feeney and logger Don Bennett, we are expecting to extend the
Gateway field closer to its original dimensions.
As we manage and plan what the Gateway will look like in
the future, we are looking for input from you to guide our planning. Please take the time to fill out the survey enclosed. It is
truly your land, complete with encumbrances, abutters, a small
woodlot, and hay fields. Like all productive land, it needs thoughtful management. One difference though, is that there are many
owners and so the process and decisions need more attention.
And, there are more of us than ever before. We welcomed many
new members this year.
You will also find with this newsletter a few other opportunities to contribute to the Land Trust. We are struggling a little
this year as we balance our organization's checkbook- not unlike many families around us. But we are working on several
exciting projects and spending your money as wisely as we know
how.
Thank you for your support.
Landon Fake,
President, MLT
Mahoosuc Land Trust Contributors 4/1/03 - 9/25/03
June Abbott
Leon and Gertrude Akers
Joe and Alison Aloisio
John R. Amann
Mary Fischer Andrews
William and Deborah Andrews
Barbara Share and Jack Armstrong
Bradley and Judith Barker
Ruth Barrett
Al and Lee Barth
Randall H. Bennett
Francis and Mary Lou Berry
The Bethel Citizen
Steve Bies
Ruth Blakney
Edward Blume
Ken and Gwyneth Bohr
Richard and Georgette Bohr
Sarah Bohr
Brooks Bros. Inc.
Beth and Walter Brough
Bill and Cindy Brown
Joyce P. Brown
Bruce S. Bryant
Tom Carter
Leo and Sarah Chylak
Bill and Ki Clough
Howard and Virginia Cole
Michael and Betsey Cooper
Richard & Gretchen Courage
Spencer and Linda Couture
Mary and Allan Crane
Allen and Jacquelyn Cressy
Omar Crouthers & Marjorie Stockford
Anthony S. Curro
Kirke Curtis
Jeanne and Robert Davis
Mac and Nancy Davis
Thomas J. DeLuca
Laureen and Edward DiNocco
Barbara A. Douglass
Robert and Mary Anne Dragoon
Josiah H. Drummond
Carole Duplessie
Robert Duplessie
Diane Dyer
Larry Ely and Jennifer Lawson
Jeffrey B. Erickson
Margaret Haberman & Landon Fake
Richard W. Deshaires,
Farmers Hill Group
Don and Ruth Feeney
Ginnie Ferrell and Jack Raymer
Gordan A. Fish
Lincoln and Suzanne Fiske
Betsey Foster
John and Julia Fox
George and Virginia Gamble
E. Dillon Gillies
Eric & Katherine Bohr Goldberg
Tracyn Thayer and Norm Greenberg
Nancy L. Greenblatt
FRENCHMAN’S (cont. from page 1)
Officers & Directors
President
Landon Fake, Bethel
Vice President
Steve Wight, Newry
Treasurer
Walter Hatch, Bethel
Assistant Treasurer
Ken Bohr, Bethel
Secretary
Bonnie Pooley, Bethel
Executive Director
James Mitchell, Freeport
Advisory
Cindy Brown, Newry
Kathy Hooke, Bethel
Becky Kendall, Bethel
Kirk Siegel, Bethel
Mary and Jules Haberman
Giden Hastings House
Robert and Bettyann Hastings
Walter and Carolyn Hatch
Bill and Susan Herlihy
Linda Hertell
Mike and Laurie Hoeh
Barbara and Rudi Honkala
Kathy M. Hooke
Jane Hosterman
Robert & Allidah Iles
Lynn and Bill Jacoby
Richard and Louise Johnson
Steve & Marie Corbin Keane
Rebecca P. Kendall
Ron and Gete Kendall
Kennett Realty, Inc
William Kieffer II
Donald Klein
Nick Kletti and Audrey Retelle
Amy S. Kuzma
Ken, Maryann and Philip Langley
Susan F. Lincoln
Eric List & Christine Trefethen
Jim and Henrietta List
Nicholas and Nancy Litchfield
Stephen and Ellen Little
Diedre O'Callaghan and Tim Lukas
Sandy MacGregor and Family
Mahoosuc Realty, Inc
Robert & Denise Manning
Joseph and Muriel Marcotte
Robert and Judith McCracken
E. Marna McGinniss
Beth Myers and Tim McGuire
Robert and Joanne Mercier
David and Terry Miles
Herbert A. Morton III
Helen A. Morton
Mountain Greenery
Mt. Mann Jewelers
Catherine & Charles Newell
Jeffrey C. Newsom
Heather Hale and David Nivus
Jack and Lucy Nordahl
Board of Directors
Joe Aloisio, Newry
Al Barth, Bethel
Donald G. Bennett, Bethel
Don Feeney, Bethel
Richard Hoeh, Albany
Robert Iles, Andover
John Laban, Bethel
Susan Lincoln, Bethel
Sandy MacGregor, Rumford
Lucia Owen, Stoneham
Jim Reuter, Bethel
Marcel Polak, Woodstock
Jan E. Stowell, Bethel
Board
Sally Taylor, Bethel
Jerry Vincent, Bethel
Bill Wight, Newry
Robin Zinchuk, Bethel
Carolyn Nygren
Michael O'Donnell
Judith E O'Neil
Marvin and Trijntje Ouwinga
Jim and Lucia Owen
Beth and Tony Owens
Oxford Networks
Mary Elizabeth Parker
Arla Patch
Susan Holt and David Pattee
Don Conant & Karen Paul
Dick and Wendy Penley
Doug and Joyce Pereira
Sidney and Eileen Pew
Bruce Pierce
Marcel Polak
Elisabeth C. Pollack
Pooh Corner Farm
Bonnie Pooley
Bruce and Shirley Powell
Norman and Joan Putnam
Kenneth and Sarah Ramage
Richard D. Rasor
Tom & Melinda Remington
Jim and Julia Reuter
Marilyn Sahlberg
Eric and Lucia Schwarz
Wendy McInerny and Chip Seamans
Michael Seitzinger
Kirk and Martha Siegel
Larry Smith
Peter and Sarah Southam
Michael and Margaret Steven
Henry and Patricia Stewart
Janet and Dexter Stowell
Sandra Francis & Richard Stratton
Gary and Anne Stuer
Swallow Song Farm
Sally and Richard Taylor
B. Taylor Thompson & Valerie Uber
Margaret Joy Tibbetts
Samuel and Natalie Timberlake
David and Rosie Trentham
Wendell and Eva Twitchell
Jerry and Shireen Vincent
and kayakers (yes, extremely experienced kayakers
run the Class 3-4 Bull Branch at high water in the
spring, as shown in the photo right) and hikers enjoy
the land in a variety of seasons.
The property has approximately 1.3 miles of
frontage on the Bull Branch and about 4,200’ on the
Sunday River. There has recently been much research
and publicity about the severe erosion problems on
the lower Sunday River. This is coming from a variety of increasing land uses in the watershed including
general development, road building, forestry, etc. The
addition of this key property to the Mahoosuc Unit
will offer a significant buffer to the Sunday River from
these increasing land uses in Riley and Newry. In
Newry, the year-round population has increased 46%
A kayaker shoots the rapids near Frenchman's Hole at high water.
in the past 20 years and the seasonal population has
Photo by Andy Chakoumakos
exploded.
All donations to the capital campaign are deductible to the full extent of the law because Mahoosuc Land Trust is a not-for-profit
organization. Volunteers are critical to the fundraising effort. Please call the office at 824-3806 if you are interested in helping.
-- Marcel Polak
THIS YEAR'S LOCAL
KNOWLEDGE PROGRAMS
This year's Local Knowledge series is still in the planning stage, but the two programs we are definitely scheduling should generate a great deal of interest.
The year's highlight will no doubt be a presentation by
Bernd Heinrich, noted biologist, author, and runner. We hope
that we can have some of his books available, and he will
certainly sign those brought.
Also, since the Chewonki Foundation's program on owls
last year drew such a large crowd, we thought their raptor
program would be equally exciting.
A post card announcing the dates and the other programs should be in the mail before Thanksgiving. Watch for
it, or check the schedule listing on the MLT website at
www.mahoosuc.org.
-- Lucia Owen
Visit the MLT website:
www.mahoosuc.org
Frank and Janet Vogt
Nancy Babcock and David Walker
Dean and Priscella Walker
Mo Ginther and Mark Wight
Ruth W. Wight
Steve & Peggy Wight
Willard & Sylvia Wight
Wilderness Medical Associates
Caroline J. Wilk
Nancy Willard
Jay L. Woolsey
Lynn and Roger Zimmerman
Robin and Doug Zinchuk
FIRST ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR
A BLOOMING SUCCESS
The Membership Committee held its first annual Garden Tour on June 8, 2003. The two goals of raising money
and introducing the Land Trust to a wider population were
definitely met. The tour was early in the season, which put
us first on the list in People, Places and Plants garden tour
list (a good thing.) The late breaking spring had advantages
and disadvantages. Many things we hoped would be in
bloom, such as the Vogt’s roses, were not. But many people
still had lilacs and the lady slippers at Kelly’s were still in
bloom.
Lynn Karlin, the photographer of “Gardens Maine Style”,
which has been on the Maine bestseller list, attended the tour,
took pictures, and came back at a later date to take more pictures of the Vogt's garden.
The membership committee appreciates the people who
so graciously opened their gardens to the public. It was very
early in the spring to have their gardens ready for viewing
and we realize it took extra effort. Thanks to all of them,
including Ruth Grover with her cityscape garden, Carol
Nielsen, Jane Vogt, Jan Baker and Pinky Rineboldt for their
village gardens (which everyone had always wanted to see
more of) and Lee Barth, Lee Hutchins and Ginger Kelly for
their out-of-the-usual methods of gardening.
The Membership Committee is planning a garden tour
next year with a twist: a tour of Upton when the lupines are
in bloom. Joy Yarnell’s garden will be featured, as well as
other sites in the area. A lunch will be included in the tour.
For more information call Ginger Kelly, 824-2686, or
e-mail [email protected].
-- Ginger Kelly
Office Volunteers
ALWAYS Needed!
ALLAGASH AUTHOR TO SPEAK
AT MLT ANNUAL MEETING
The MLT Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, October 26, 2003, at Trustees' Auditorium, McLaughlin Science Center, Gould Academy, at 7:00 pm.
The featured speaker will be Dean Bennett. In his presentation, "The Allagash
- Symbol of a Conservation Ethic for our Rivers," he will show that our rivers
can be places that preserve the values of nature and our relationship with the
natural world. His photos illustrate the lessons for river conservation that can
be learned from the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
Dean Bennett was born and raised in Locke Mills, Maine. He is professor
emeritus at the University of Maine at Farmington. Much of his professional
life has been devoted to teaching and writing in the fields of science and environmental education, natural history, and human relationships with nature, as
well as to advocacy work in wilderness preservation. His photography and
artwork also have been widely published.
His books include two about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway: Allagash:
Maine’s Wild and Scenic River, a natural history published in 1994 by Down
East Books, and The Wilderness From Chamberlain Farm: A Story of Hope
For The American Wild, a history of values toward nature and wild land, published in 2001 by Island Press.
DATA ENTRY – We need help entering data into
our office computers. The volunteer will record
membership information and maintain other
records. The workload varies throughout the year.
MLT has Macintosh computers and uses Apple
works, QuickBooks and Ebase. Times are flexible.
and Friends of the Androscoggin
Notes
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT – We need an individual to recruit, supervise, keep records and plan
recognition events for our volunteers. Times are
flexible.
FILING - We will make weekly training available
to people who wish to volunteer in the office. After the volunteers are comfortable with the job,
they can set their own hours. If you wish to volunteer for any of these positions, please call Jim at
the office (824-3806).
Fall 2003 Volume 12 No. 2
“TAKING THE PLUNGE”
MLT HELPS PROTECT FRENCHMAN’S HOLE
ON EBAY Oct. 15 - 25
With a little luck and lots of extra volunteer effort, you should be reading this newsletter just
in time to get your bids in for the MLT Autumn Auction on ebay. We've received generous donations of lots of great items to help MLT's fundraising efforts. You could be the lucky high bidder
on a guided fly-fishing expedition on the Androscoggin River, collectible antique puzzles, crystal
glassware, gift certificates from local businesses, antique prints, a ski pass for Black Mountain,
and more! All proceeds from the auction benefit the Land Trust and its projects. Special thanks to
the ebay auction volunteers: Linda MacGregor, Conni St.Pierre, Marcel Polak, Janet Willie, Jim
Reuter, (anyone who volunteered after this went to press...) and the master listers who helped list
all the items on ebay. We're going to need help packing and shipping the items to the lucky winners.
To find the MLT ebay auction page, either go to the ebay home page and click on Fundraising
auctions, or use the ebay search site "search for seller:" Mahoosuc_Land_Trust, and make your
bids count! If you have an e-mail address on file at the MLT office you will be receiving an e-mail
with a link to the auction listing page. If you need help accessing the auction, or need more
information you can call the office, or call Conni St.Pierre at 824-3246.
-- Conni St.Pierre
and Friends of the Androscoggin
P.O. Box 981
Bethel, Maine 04217
(207)824-3806
[email protected]
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The subject of more than one local song, the falls at Frenchman's Hole are the site of an
almost legendary rite of passage
Photo by Eric Schwarz
Mahoosuc Land Trust
(MLT) will soon announce a
capital campaign for the purchase of the 385 acre
Frenchman’s Hole property in
Riley Township. MLT is working collaboratively with the
Maine Bureau of Parks and
Lands and the Land for Maine’s
Future Program to raise the
funds for the purchase.
Most of the purchase price
will be coming from the Land for
Maine’s Future (LMF) Program
– the $50,000,000 bond issue to
purchase important conservation, water access, and farm
lands in Maine. The 4.4 acre
Bear River Rips property on the
Androscoggin River in Newry
was also purchased with funds
from this bond issue. Additional
funds will come directly from
the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
The LMF program requires a local match as part of the funding, thus significantly leveraging the bond funds.
This property abuts the 27,000 acre Mahoosuc Management Unit, currently public reserved lands. Public reserved lands are managed
for multiple uses by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. This Unit contains a significant section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the
popular loop trail to the AT – the Wright Trail, along Goose Eye Brook. In addition, the Mahoosuc Unit contains an important designated
state ecological reserve. This reserve is 9,974 acres and includes the most alpine habitat (which is rare in Maine) of thirteen state-wide
ecological reserves. The Frenchman’s Hole Property is directly adjacent to this important ecological reserve and will serve as an
additional buffer.
The 385 acres will be owned and managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands as part of the Mahoosuc Management Unit. This is
preferable to ownership by MLT because of the significant public use and management. A cooperative management agreement will be
developed between MLT and the State whereby MLT will receive a yearly stipend to help with the management.
The Frenchman’s Hole property has many important qualities beyond the many pools and waterfalls that so many residents and
visitors enjoy. The forests were well managed by Roy Newton, the present land owner, and provide important wildlife habitat, especially
along the riparian area by the rivers. Cross country skiers, mountain bikers, (cont. page 3)