A midcoast nonprofit is starting a major project to increase the amount of conserved land in Waldo County.
The Coastal Mountain Land Trust, which serves towns in Knox and Waldo counties, has created the Waldo County Conservation Initiative, a committee that will oversee a fund to buy up natural lands in the region and permanently preserve them.
Ian Stewart, executive director of the Coastal Mountain Land Trust, said the initiative was borne out of concern for Waldo County’s lack of conserved land.
Only 4.2 percent of land in Waldo County is conserved, according to 2016 data from Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. That places Waldo County third to last out of 16 Maine counties, and far below the 20.4 percent state total. The Waldo County Conservation Initiative hopes to grow that figure and, in turn, preserve biodiversity to fight climate change.
“Because there is a need and an urgency to do more sooner, we thought branding this as a Waldo County initiative would raise its interest and invite people to think about participating in it not just as a small project, but as a bigger vision,” Stewart said.
Coastal Mountain Land Trust has been working since 1986 to permanently conserve land around West Penobscot Bay. In total, the organization has acquired over 8,600 acres of conservation easements and nature preserves in 12 Waldo County towns.
“We certainly have been doing work quietly in Waldo County, project by project,” Stewart said.
The initiative is run by a committee with members from different pockets of Waldo County, Development & Communications Coordinator Tempe Landi said.
The initiative’s goals are to provide room for recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing or hiking, access to bodies of water and dedicated outdoor learning spaces for local schools, and preserve biodiversity.
Stewart also hopes the initiative will reframe the way people think about climate change and how to tackle it. Rising temperatures, droughts, wildfires and the increasing prevalence of invasive species put natural habitats and the species that dwell in them at risk. But forests, natural lands and agricultural lands absorb approximately 75 percent of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Maine Climate Council.
“Combating climate change is underlying all of the work that we do,” Courtney Collins, a Waldo County Conservation Initiative committee member, said.
Sights are set on 12 locations across Waldo County. Stewart estimates it will cost $700,000 to initially buy and permanently steward 500 acres of land. Ahead of the formal launch, the initiative raised $450,000 thanks to grant funding and land donations. Now, Coastal Mountain Land Trusts is turning to the community to donate money and land.
Funds have so far been used to purchase land on Mount Tuck in Stockton Springs, Hurds Pond in Swanville, the Passagassawakeag River in Knox and a preserve near Searsport schools for students to have outdoor class time.
Collins emphasizes, though, that this is more than fundraising. Committee members are also working to foster community involvement. That can look like raising awareness about the importance of these conserved lands and encouraging community members to reach out to local lawmakers to call for greater preservation efforts.
Stewart believes the love of land is something that unites all Waldo County residents. And it will be a driving force to keep the initiative going.
“Land is one of those things that brings everyone together. No matter where you’re from or what your politics are, it’s a common element of our local culture,” Stewart said. “Supporting the land that we all appreciate and use is a legacy project, something that will be here for everybody to enjoy forever.”