WARREN, Maine — Public access to a popular pond will be preserved following the state’s purchase of waterfront property.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry acquired a 1-acre parcel on South Pond Tuesday for approximately $72,000, according to John Bott, director of special projects and communications for the state agency. The property included a boat launching site that has been used by the public to gain access to South Pond.
The property was owned by Depot Landing LLC. Bott said the property was under threat to be sold off and converted into a residential lot that would have meant the loss of that launching site for the public. William Bird of Warren is listed as the manager of Depot Landing, which owns property at the end of Depot Road near the state-owned railroad line.
The money for the purchase, according to Bott, came from revenues generated from submerged land leases. The state collects fees for leasing publicly owned submerged lands for everything from docks to pipelines and commercial fishing operations.
There are no plans for improvements to the newly acquired land in the immediate future, he said.
“Our primary goal was to preserve the access,” he said.