Sunday, June 12, 2011
Lakesmart begins third year of pilot program in Bremen.
Invasive Aquatic Identification Training
• Overview of invasive species issues in Maine and beyond
• Plant identification fundamentals
• Plant identification hands-on exercise with live plants
• Conducting a screening survey, tools and techniques
http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/workshops/#IntroIPP. Sponsored jointly by the Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association and the Pemaquid Watershed Association. FMI: 207.549.3836 or julia@dlwa.org
DIRECTIONS: To reach DLWA office from the south, follow route 32 to Jefferson from its junction with US 1 in Waldoboro. Go through Jefferson Village on 32, pass Bond Bros. Lumber and Baptist Church. At the next intersection, bear left onto Rte 126, go about 50 yards, then turn left at the DLWA sign. Follow drive to bottom of the hill & park. The DLWA office is to the left.
Lake or Pond?
Linda Bacon
Technical Advisor
Monday, June 6, 2011
Bremen Alewives Arrive!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed in Maine
Red Arrows indicate bats with White Nose Syndrome |
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Courtesy Boat Inspection Training
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Case Study: Significant Vernal Pool Identification and Mapping
http://www.meacc.net/achievements/topsham_vernal%20pools.pdf
Monday, April 25, 2011
Conservation Priorities | Projects
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Bremen Clean Up is April 30
Friday, April 8, 2011
New Lands Conserved on BLI
Daniel and Suzanne Goldenson of Bremen made a further gift of land to complete the Karl F. Berger Preserve on Bremen Long Island. The gift was made to Medomak Valley Land Trust and consists of an additional 15 acres, including a cove and 700 feet of deep water frontage on the eastern shore of the 165 acre preserve.
Working closely with MVLT and the Bremen Conservation Commission, the Goldensons souht to preserve a major part of the 850 acre island, which, in the days before paved roads and electricity on the mainland, had several hundred residents who were farmers and fishermen.
The Berger Preserve is accessible from Hockomock Channel, on the western shore, and extends more than 4,000 feet to the eastern shore where the swift ocean current inspired the name "Flying Passage." The newly donated parcel protects a beautiful cove on the eastern shore of the island. Trails, signage and brochures will be developed this spring by MVLT and the Bremen Conservation Commission.
Bradley Family Donates Easement on BLI
Thanks to the generosity of Robert and Suzanne Bradley of Bristol a small parcel of wooded land on Bremen Long Island, with 900 ft. of frontage on Muscongus Bay, was placed under conservation easement.
The property is on the southwestern end of Bremen Long Island, and includes several beautiful wetlands, mature woods, and rocky shoreland. A historic 'cattle run' passes along the eastern edge of the property. Conservation of this property ensures that the land will stay forever undeveloped and available to the public for hiking, picnicking, and other low impact activities.
The property was donated in the memory of Robert's mother , Elizabeth Bradley, and has been in the Bradley family for almost half a century. Rob, a local lobsterman, says that his mother enjoyed spending summers for years on Bremen Long Island before handing the property down to him. He and Suzanne will, in time, hand it down to their children.
During the time that the Bradleys have owned the property, they have seen public access to the shore decline precipitously, and wanted to make sure that there were still places that locals could go to enjoy the water. They decided that an easement was the best vehicle for protecting both the natural resources of the property, and the public's access to it.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Clearing Up the Mud
April 2, 2011
MAINE COMPASS: Clearing Up the Mud
Some facts about Maine's significant vernal pools
By Anne Duperault
As the snow begins to melt, many of us soon will hear the sounds of
spring peepers and wood frogs calling around vernal pools -- unique
natural areas that have garnered much attention and confusion this
legislative session.
Vernal pools are small, shallow wetlands that provide big benefits to
people and wildlife. They are critical habitat for many species,
particularly frogs and salamanders, but they also are used by
waterfowl and deer.
Vernal pools also help fuel the surrounding forest food chain as
countless larger predators, from red fox to mink to woodland hawks,
prey on the annual crop of frogs and salamanders that emerge from
these habitats every year.
Recently, there has been substantial focus and misconceptions
regarding Maine's laws on vernal pools. Unlike several other
northeastern states, Maine does not protect all vernal pools. The
state protects only "significant vernal pools" based on specific
scientific criteria designed to target pools hosting rare and
endangered species or exceptionally high populations of pool-breeding
indicator amphibians.
Not every mud puddle or skidder rut is considered significant. In
fact, of the nearly 1,200 vernal pools reviewed to date by the Maine
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, only about 240 pools (20
percent) have been identified as significant vernal pools.
Further confusion arises when Maine is compared against other states
in the Northeast, especially with regard to "buffers" -- the setback
for land surrounding the pool.
Vermont, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginia apply
smaller buffers to a larger proportion of vernal pools than does
Maine. These buffers (25-100 feet) are too small to adequately support
many of the wildlife populations that require forested habitat
surrounding the pool.
Maine has a more scientifically supported buffer size of 250 feet that
is applied to a limited subset of the state's highest-value vernal
pools. The state's conservation approach focuses on quality and
functionality, not quantity.
Some have blamed Maine's vernal pool protections for impeding
development. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection,
however, has not denied a single permit for a development proposal
involving a significant vernal pool, according to its own briefing to
the Legislature last week (March 23).
Some also assume the word "buffer" to mean "no development activity."
This is not the case with Maine's vernal pool rules. Forest management
activities, including associated road construction, are exempt from
vernal pool protections. Low-intensity development activity is also
permissible, provided it is planned in a manner that minimizes its
impact to pool-breeding wildlife.
Maine's significant vernal pools have been part of the state's
regulated natural resources for almost four years, and part of Maine's
natural landscape for thousands of years.
Poorly planned development, however, can wipe these unique habitats
out in a matter of days.
Legislators beholden to a few outspoken, highly paid development
lobbyists should remember that the silent majority of Mainers treasure
the natural heritage that makes this state special. Any change to
science-based natural resource protections should not be done hastily
and in response to unsubstantiated rhetoric, but rather with careful
consideration of the facts.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Update: Bremen Alewife Fishery Status
On March 26th, at the Bremen Town meeting, voters approved unanimously to not operate an alewife fishery in either Muscongus Harbor, nor Muscongus Brook. Recent federal regulations require municipalities managing alewives, to operate them in ways promoting sustainability. Beginning in 2012, federal regulators are closing all U.S. ocean target fishing of alewives and the majority of in-river alewife fisheries. These actions are in response to a steep decline in alewife numbers along their entire Atlantic seaboard range. Towns granted harvesting rights will have needed to provide a history of spawning count data as well as catch samples.
Presently Bremen’s alewife numbers in Muscongus are small and their spawning is limited by the 2 RT 32 road crossings. The DOT has been working on design and engineering of these 2 road crossings, with some talk of their fish friendly replacements in the next year or two.
When Bremen approved conservation measures at town meeting, it tells regulators that Bremen is committed to the restoration of this recourse
Monday, March 28, 2011
Working Together
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wildlife Habitat Protection Hearing April 1st
legislation that would roll back wildlife habitat protections,
including vernal pool protections. Visible support matters, so please
attend the hearing if you can. And calls or emails to members of the
Environment and Natural Resources Committee are also very important,
particularly if you are a constituent.
_____________________________________
As you know, a host of rollback bills have been introduced in Augusta
this winter that would gut many of the balanced, science-based
protections that keep our lakes and rivers clean and provide critical
feeding, nesting, and resting areas for wading birds, waterfowl,
coastal shorebirds, and many woodland creatures.
These destructive bills go after the best-of-the-best significant
areas that are the highest value to wildlife as well as our most
common-sense protections for Maine’s water resources. We cannot let
this happen.
Maine’s water, land, and wildlife are the heartbeat of Maine people
and the natural legacy we hold dear. They are central to our economy
and our quality of life. Preserving and protecting them is a core
value shared by families and businesses across the state. Yet these
precious natural resources are facing one of their biggest threats in
decades.
Threats to Significant Vernal Pools
Threats to Wading Bird and Waterfowl Habitat
Threats to Coastal Shorebirds
Attend the public hearing before the Environment and Natural Resources
Committee on Friday, April 1st at 9:30am in room 216 of the State
Office Building in Augusta (map).
Call or email members of the Environment and Natural Resources
Committee and urge them to reject LD 872 and other devastating threats
to our water quality and significant wildlife habitat. Click here for
contact information.
Visit our website for more information and other ways to take action:
www.maineaudubon.org/act
If you care about Maine's water, land, and wildlife, and the
opportunities for good jobs and quality of life they provide to all of
us, please take action today!
Jenn Burns Gray
Maine Audubon Staff attorney and advocate
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Open Space Protection in the Midcoast
4-6:00 p.m. at University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service
office, 45 Manktown Road, Waldoboro. The event will feature two
presentations regarding open space protection in the Mid-Coast area of
interest to both area conservation commissioners and land trust
members:
Beginning with Habitat has developed a variety of planning tools that
will be of interest to any group interested in open space and habitat
protection. Steve Walker, director of Beginning with Habitat, will
review those tools and how they can be used effectively.
The Twelve Rivers Collaborative is a regional land protection
initiative being spearheaded by nine Mid-Coast area land trusts to
protect lands within the one million acre region between the Kennebec
and Penobscot Rivers. Maureen Hoffman of the Sheepscot Valley
Conservation Association and Liz Petruska of the Medomak Valley Land
Trust will describe the vision driving that initiative and discuss the
role area conservation commissions might play in that project.
The event is open to conservation commissioners, land trust members
and other people interested in open space protection at a municipal
and regional level. The agenda will include both presentations and
ample time for participant / presenter discussion.
There is no charge for the event, but pre-registration is required via
MEACC’s website, www.meacc.net. Please register by March 4th.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
CONSERVATION PRIORITIES WORKSHOP RESULTS
By a wide margin attendees at a Conservation Planning Workshop in Bremen January 27 picked access to the water as the greatest conservation concern in Bremen.
Bremen Conservation Commission Chairman Dennis Prior said the commission organized the workshop as one way of learning what residents see conservation priorities for the town. Prior said he was pleased with the wide cross section of residents who attended the workshop. He thanked everyone for coming on a cold winter night and said he was happy to see families bring their young children.
After viewing the latest version of the Beautiful Bremen slide show, participants heard a brief explanation of how the meeting would work, and then gathered in small groups to suggest what they feel town conservation priorities should be. They were asked to asked to consider what natural resources that are important to Bremen residents are currently limited or in danger of being lost. The suggestions from the small groups were merged and discussed by all participants who were then asked to each select the five ideas they considered the most important and rate them as to priority.
Following the workshop, the Conservation Commission compiled all the prioritized suggestions, assigning a weighted score to each. Workshop participants selected public access to the town's saltwater and freshwater resources as the highest priorities by more than twice as much as that of any other. Access to saltwater included access to the working waterfront and for recreational boating. Freshwater access included opportunities for non-motorized boating and swimming, including suggestions for a town park, picnic area and future public water supply.
Other top priorities were hiking trails; access to the town's high elevation areas; maintaining unfragmented blocks of land, open space and farmland; recreational facilities and programs, especially for children; and better access to Bremen Long Island and town alewife runs.
In addition, there were suggestions from workshop participants to develop revenue streams from town recreation opportunities, consider the financial aspects of public properties, map vernal pools, and make better use of existing town properties including the town landing. It was also suggested that funds in the town's Conservation Account might go further if spent for rights-of-way and easements rather than large land purchases.
Prior said the Conservation Commission will use all the prioritized suggestions to develop a strategic plan for acquiring and maintaining the town's natural resources that residents see as important to Bremen's future.