Site updated 6/11/09
Check out the Winter Newsletter: Follow the link to Horizons 2009
MISSION STATEMENT
To preserve and protect forever such valued natural resources as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, agricultural lands, woodlands, historic sites, scenic places and wildlife habitat, in the inland municipalities of York County, Maine. (Acton, Alfred, Lebanon, Sanford/Springvale, Shapleigh)
3RLT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fund Raising Garden TEA
Friday, June 26 from 4:30 to 6:30 (rain or shine)
To be held at 400 Main Street Springvale, the historic home
of the Kleinrocks (formerly owned by the Emery family),
with beautiful gardens down to the river.
Tea with homemade sandwiches and cookies
Parking on the street or at the Baptist Church
Cost: $8 per person
FMI Madge Baker 324-9553
Next regular Board meeting is July 8, 6:00 PM Springvale Library.
VERNAL POOL WALK was well attended Sunday May 17 
The Three Rivers Land Trust conducted a Field Trip to visit and learn about the value of vernal pools. The field trip was held at the residence of William and Pat Hutchins in Shapleigh.
Vernal Pools are an important part of our ecosystem. They provide breeding habitat for Wood Frogs, Spotted Salamanders, Blue Spotted Salamanders and Fairy Shrimp. Vernal Pools are important habitat for many other animals in addition to the four indicator species. They include Spring Peepers, Four-Toed Salamanders plus several types of turtles.
The Field Trip was led by William Bullard of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Bill is also a member of the Alfred Conservation Commission. Thank you Bill!
The presentation on "Options for Farmland Protection" by Stephanie Gilbert the Farmland Protection Specialist for the Maine Department of Food and Rural Resources was co-hosted by the York County Farmers Network (www.ycfn.org). It was well attended by over 50 people. As Stephanie said the best way to protect farmland is for farms to become profitable. Ag statistics are indicating that the dollars and acres of farms in York County are up from 2000!
As
an inland area of the southern most county in Maine we still have
fairly large tracts of land that are undeveloped. A land trust in this
area of rapid
growth has significant potential impact on the recreational potential,
wildlife habitat, farmland protection, open space, and the future rural
character of the land.
3RLT has successfully completed 8 easements that protect over 1,430 acres. Currently there are three more easements in the works for about 300 more acres.
The towns that are included in the trust are: Acton, Alfred, Lebanon, Sanford/Springvale, and Shapleigh. Covering an area of 215.4 square miles, or about 17,856 acres, this area is the last region of York County to establish an organization that is committed to providing assistance to citizens interested in preserving their property and holding and maintaining easements forever.
These towns are historically farm communities with large land holdings still intact. However, without some guidance from an organization such as the Three Rivers Land Trust, these large parcels likely will fall into the hands of developers. Then our valuable resources will be gone forever. The need is to act now. We worked with Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission to develop maps of educated priority target areas in each town. We will also work to assist landowners outside the target areas.
The average growth in the towns participating at this time in the trust has been over 13% during the last decade. All indications show that this number will escalate dramatically in the next decade. We feel that the Three Rivers Land Trust can play an important role in preserving and protecting our valued natural resources.
This organization is entirely run by volunteers, the board of directors is the active force. We have a volunteer lawyer, forester, media people, land stewardship committee, treasurer, president, etc. We meet once a month, the second wed. usually downstairs in the Springvale Library at 6:45 pm and as needed. We are glad to provide information and work with locally interested landowners.
501c(3) status with the IRS: ID# 01-0539771 DLN: 17053024059011
3RLT Easements:
Shapleigh: March 2008 Citizens have voted to protect the Shapleigh Town Forest with an easement on over 500 acres. Congratulations!
Shapleigh: December 2007
Ron Prevoir signed an easement on his property "Shapleigh Knoll" on Newfield Rd. See The Winter Horizons.Lebanon: December 2007- Red Wing Farm Beatrice Lord and Marjorie Lord Blood signed easements on their Farm protecting it for the future. See the wonderful "Letter From Red Wing Farm" in the Winter Horizons (Look on link to newsletters).
Shapleigh: December 29th 2006
3RLT signed an easement with Ruth Boothby to preserve her farm of
approximately 115 acres “Grand View Acres” on
Several years ago when working on our strategic plan the land trust invited the public to attend a goal setting meeting. What came right to the foreground at that meeting was how much people treasure scenic, rural views in our towns, views of fields, lakes, and mountains. Fortunately, the landowners of most of these special views also cherish them. Indeed, that is why the views have been passed down from one generation to another.
One of those wonderful places is the view from Owl’s Nest Road, seen best when one is headed north. Almost twenty acres of hay fields lie in the foreground with house and barn at the road’s edge. On days when the sky is deep blue the unmistakable outline of Mount Washington rises in the distance. Thanks to Ruth P. Boothby and her children this very special vista will never be obstructed by buildings, and the agricultural fields will always remain ready for planting.
The farm, which
had belonged to Joseph Hasty, was purchased by Ruth’s grandfather, Albert M.
Mann, in 1885. It was passed down from him to Ruth’s parents. She grew up there.
When she and her husband, E. Harry Boothby, raised a family of their own, they
spent summers there. Eventually Harry retired from administration in the
Massachusetts public school system so the family could become year-round
Shapleigh residents. In fact, he did not retire but continued to teach and fill
in as an administrator in Sanford and Acton for a number of years. He also
became an active community volunteer. His most visible assignment was as Town
Meeting Moderator.
In recent years the fields have been cared for and mowed
by Shapleigh residents, Mike and Elsa Cook. The almost 100 acres of woods have
been carefully and sustainably managed under the direction of Shapleigh
forester, Peter Klachany.
When a land trust accepts a conservation easement
it accepts the responsibility of carrying out the owner’s wishes forever. In
this case Ruth wants to preserve the fields, trees, and view more than the
buildings. Therefore, the easement allows considerable alterations to the
existing structures, but no degradation of the fields and forest.
To carry out its responsibilities, our land trust is always putting aside funds in what we call our Stewardship Fund. These funds are invested to assure they continue to grow in size. We would like to add $2,000 to that Fund to assure future protection of this property. Any and all contributions to that fund are most welcome.
Alfred: May 10, 2005
Three Rivers Land Trust placed a conservation easement on "Shaker Woods" a 35 acre parcel of land in Alfred. The Parcel, which is located on Stone Road has over a thousand feet of frontage on the middle branch of the Mousam River. The land was originally part of a subdivision that is being developed by Washington Associates. The Conservation easement will assure that the 34 acres will remain as open space, forever. The forest will be left in its natural state.The 34 acres of open space is being transferred (gifted) to the town of Alfred. A town-appointed committee will mainrain the stewardship of the property. They will create a walking trail; and a traditional public canoe and kayak access to the river that will be kept open forever. The Three Rivers Land Trust will monitor the property on an annual basis to assure that the terms of the easement are carried out.
This easement is the result of an effort on the part of the Alfred Planning Board, the developer, the land trust, and the Alfred Selectmen to form a partnership to promote cluster development and protect, preserve, and provide the public access to this beautiful undeveloped waterfront.
Shapleigh: November 17, 2005
In March 2005, Shapleigh residents approved two historic land acquisitions for the town. The Shapleigh Town Meeting accepted the gift of a section of rare turtle habitat on Upper Goose Pond, and voted to purchase a sixty-six acre abutting wooded parcel which will become part of the Town Forest, connecting the turtle habitat to the rest of the Town Forest. If you want to walk through this area, pick up a map from the Shapleigh Town Hall.
November 2005: A Blanding's Turtle Preserve in Shapleigh At Last! We thought this easement would be finalized two years earlier. It was wishful thinking. Turtles are notoriously slow moving, but can win the race in the end.
The "Goose Pond Turtle Preserve" easement is now executed. It, assures that thirty acres of woodland with more than 1,000 feet of frontage on Shapleigh's Upper Goose beaver pond will remain a forever-wild preserve. It is to remain forever wild because it is suitable habitat for the elusive and endangered Blanding’s Turtle.
Like every easement story this one has its heroes and heroines. The parcel seemed destined to become one more house lot in a new subdivision located around a peaceful, secluded beaver pond. But the Town’s Conservation Commission had taught the Planning Board to check unfailingly the state generated natural areas maps. These maps told the Planning Board and the landowner that the Blanding’s Turtle had been found there. Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Maine Natural Areas biologists were brought into the discussions. They recommended the 30 acres be set aside. The Planning Board adopted their recommendation; The Three Rivers Land Trust agreed to be the enforcer as the easement holder; and the Town of Shapleigh voted to acquire the lot in March2005. But there was still one formidable roadblock: there was a badly eroded, unapproved ATV trail that not only degraded water entering Mousam Lake, but might have also serve as a death warrant to a meandering turtle. Happily, the developer/owner, Northwoods Land Co. of Maine, through its agent, Craig Higgins, willingly took on the responsibility of closing the ATV trail.
So thanks to Shapleigh Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Northwoods Land Company, Three Rivers Land Trust and the citizens of Shapleigh, the Blandings Turtle Habitat is forever intact.
Acton: August 17, 2004
A
town-appointed committee has accepted the challenge of converting the
Mary Grant property with and easement held by 3RLT into a town park called "Mary Grant Nature Preserve". The committee, working with
several volunteers, has focused its efforts on turning the barn into
usable space. They have held work days and been fundraising. 
The
Town Forester, Steve Bodkin, has helped with a preliminary assessment
of the condition of the woodlot. With Steve's help, the committee has
begun formulating the goals which will guide the formation of a
management plan for the woodlot. Anyone interested in helping should
contact Dick Neal (207-636-3205) or Lorraine Yeaton (207-636-2146) or
make a contribution to "The Town of Acton c/o Mary Grant Fund" PO Box
540, Acton, Me. 04001 The property is located on Sam Page Rd.,
one-quarter mile east from the H Rd. intersection. At the annual town
meeting on June 4, Acton voters approved the 2005 Comprehensive Plan.
With the guidance of Paul Schumacher from SMRPC, the Comprehensive Plan
committee had developed this blueprint for the town’s growth for the
next decade. There are many proposals within the plan for the
conservation of our working farms and forestlands, as well as wildlife
habitat protection and regional protection of our lakes. Throughout the
developement of this plan, the Trust advocated for sustainable growth
based on the conservation of our resources. We are hopeful that the
Trust will continue to support efforts toward the implementation of
these goals.
Lebanon: June, 4, 2003
"The Wilbur Jones Farm" in Lebanon was the first easement that the Trust finalized in June of 2003. This working farm is owned and managed by the Ridley Farm in Shapleigh and is comprised of three parcels and almost 600 acres of fields and forests.
Sanford:
Easements to protect McDougal Orchard and the surrounding agricultural land from future development have been signed and sealed with the Mousam Way Land Trust. Over four hundred acres are now protected from encroaching suburban sprawl.
Each property has it's own special characteristics and history, so each easement must be crafted to recognize the uniqueness of the place. Each of these projects is the fulfillment of a landowner's dream and is being handled with great care.For more information, or to get on the mailing list, please contact us.
TRAILS MAPS ARE AVAILABLE!!! They may be purchased for $3.95 at: Crum's
Cycles; Springvale Hardware; Shaw's Hardware; Sanford Springvale
Chamber of Commerce; Fall's Agway; Norman Hardware; J & S Grocery
& Deli; Springvale Nurseries; Springvale
Library; Jeff Daigle Dentist Office; Acton Trading 
Post;Goodall
Library; Giles Family Farm; Conant Reality; Shapleigh Corner Store;
Boonies; Oak Hill Alpacas; Emery Mills Market; Laudholm Farm, and One Earth Natural Foods. Please Contact us if you are interested in carrying them in your store.
You may also purchase one through the mail for $6.20(includes sales tax and postage) check or money order to: Three Rivers Land Trust Map, P.O. Box 906 Acton, Maine 04101-0906
We are trying to develop our email list. If you would like to receive notices and newsletters from the 3RLT through the web, please submit your email address contact
Thank you for your support in the past...we hope you will remember to renew or join as a new member for 2008! Affordable memberships at $15 for individual, $50 for supporting, and $75 for Business, or other $$. Please make checks payable to Three Rivers Land Trust and mail to PO Box 906, Acton, ME 04001 with your contact information. Thank You!
THANK YOU MCDOUGALS and MCADAMS!!!
Public Meeting June13th 2008 was well attended. The speakers Bonnie Lounsbury and Adrian Wadsworth gave an interesting overview and raised a lot of questions about farmland issues and preservation. The Maine Farmland Trust has set a goal of preserving 100,000 acres of farmland over the next ten years. One of the approaches that they are taking is "Buy > Restrict > Re-sell". Of course the best way to preserve farmland is to make farms viable. Today households are spending less that 10% of their income on food. During the 1970s that amount was close to 20%. Each of us can help protect farmland by buying local foods at farmers markets, farm stands and at the grocery store. FMI: http://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/
After the presentation the changes of the 3RLT by-laws were outlined by Madge Baker and approved by the members.
Refreshments were enjoyed.
Annual Meeting snowed out on Valentines Day Wed.
February 14 but was a success on the snow date of Feb. 28th.The guest speaker was Steve Clark. He is a retired teacher, a past
president of Maine Appalachian Trail Club, a current instructor at
November fourth 2006 a forum was held in Sanford entitled "Our Changing Landscape" Fairly well attended it was organized as a joint effort by the Sanford Springvale Mousam Way Land Trust and Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission(SPRPC) and 3RLT. Moderated by Paul Schumacher of SMRPC, the first speaker on the panel was Craig Higgins who spoke on developer's responsibilities when planning subdivisions, and cluster subdivisions. The second speaker was Martin Wormer, a Lawyer who spoke on Estate Planning and conservation easements. Next Evan McDougal spoke on his experiences of putting a conservation easement on his family's Farm. And finally Tin Smith spoke on the land trust's roll in protecting properties.
Thank you to our presenters and Bud and Paul and everyone who came!
There is a need to educate the public, lawyers, developers, land owners and land trust members about land trust, land use issues and how we can have an impact now on our landscape and how it will look in 25, 50, 100, 500 years. If you are interested in attending programs like this, let us know.contact