Muscongus Bay Map Exhibit

There will be an opening night reception for the Muscongus Bay Atlas Exhibit from 7 - 9 p.m. on  Tuesday, August 18, at the Bremen Town House. 

 

The exhibit includes 24 colorful maps of the Muscongus Bay region, featuring a variety of themes such as historical sites, fishing, sailing and kayaking areas, and wildlife habitats. 

 

Everyone is invited to attend; admission is free and refreshments will be served. 

 

In addition to the map exhibit, the Bremen Historical Society will have photo display on Bremen Boat building at the opening.   

 

At about 7:30 p.m., there will be brief presentations by Jennifer Atkinson, Marine Program Director of the Quebec-Labrador Foundation which prepared the maps, and Maggie Shannon, Director of the LakeSmart program.  Three LakeSmart Awards will be presented.  

 

Also, BCC chairman Dennis Prior is providing original artwork from his collection to benefit the Bremen Conservation Account. Ten selections, all marine inspired, capture the essence of Bremen's working waterfront and its fleet in a vibrant display of light and color. Each piece ranges in size from 16" x 16" to 16" x 22" and is valued starting at $300.  Anyone who donates $5 to the conservation account at the exhibit opening will receive a chance to win the canvas of their choice; a $20 gift will entitle the donor to five chances.  The drawing will be at 8:30 p.m.  

After the opening, the maps will move to the town center where they will remain on display through August 31.

 

A number of Bremen committees and organizations are helping sponsor this Opening Event, including the Conservation Commission, Townhouse Committee, Historical Society, Patriotic Club, Muscongus Community Club and the Library.    The Medomak Valley Lant Trust and the Pemaquid Watershed Association are also sponsoring this event. 

Woodlot Workshop in Waldoboro

The Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, in collaboration with the Maine Forest Service, will present a six-session course titled "Working with Your Woodlot" beginning Monday, September 14, at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro.

 

The course will help landowners to make informed decisions about their woodlots.  Topics to be covered include forest managment techniques, wildlife management, forest health, tree identification, forest management plans, harvesting, working with forest professionals, legal aspects of forest ownership and more.

 

All are invited to attend.  The fee for the course is $15.  Classes will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. on six consecutive Mondays.

 

Medomak Valley High School is located at 320 Manktown Road, Waldoboro.  For more information, contact Jeanne Kannegieser at 207-626-0005 or jeanne@swoam.org. 

Conservation Account is Growing

The Bremen Conservation Commission has received a donation of $955 for the town's conservation account from the Friends of Broad Cove.

Friends Co-Chair Barney Burrall said the money was raised to help protect the Cove from environmental damage and foster education with land owners. "Because the Bremen Conservation Commission has demonstrated its commitment to similar goals, we feel this donation will be better used in fostering the Commission's efforts for all of Bremen," Burrall said.

Dennis Prior, chairman of the Bremen Conservation Commission, thanked the Friends of Broad Cove for its generous donation. Prior said he was delighted to see this donation to the Conservation Account and pleased by the confidence in the Commission shown by the Friends of Broad Cove. "You can be sure that these funds will be used to benefit all of Bremen," he said.

The Conservation Account was established by vote at the 2008 Bremen Town Meeting for the purpose of acquiring land, easements and rights-of-way to maintain open space for Bremen's future. Including this donation, the $3,100 appropriated to the account by the town, and donations of $178.50 from the BCC's 2009 Earth Day compost bin sale, the Conservation Account now totals $4233.50.

Invasive Aquatic Plant Identification Workshop

Where: Roberts 101, University of Maine, Farmington
When: August 11th, 1-6:30 pm

New and seasoned shoreline patrollers and plant identifiers are welcome and encouraged to attend a hands-on workshop hosted by RLHT and conducted by the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants (MCIAP).
During the informative workshop participants will learn about the ecological and economic threats posed by invasive aquatic plants. They will also learn how to conduct a shoreline survey, collect aquatic plants, and identify both native and invasive species that can live in Maine's waters.
No experience is needed and everyone is encouraged to attend.

Pre-registration is required but the workshop is free. To sign up, contact Rebecca Kurtz at RLHT (864-7311 ext. 5 / rkurtz@rlht.org), or go online at http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/workshops

Can you identify this island?

This might mean you have to get out on the water in a boat of some kind.
Email bcc@tidewater.net with your answer/guess.
We'll post the answer soon.

Lakesmart Getting Underway

Local volunteers for the Lakesmart Progam recently met at the beautiful home of Mary Berger to fine tune local efforts and to get the program underway on Bremen's lakes and ponds.

The Lakesmart Program recognizes property owners in lake watersheds who manage and landscape their property to protect lake water quality. Declining water quality can affect the type and number of fish species that inhabit the lake and can harm other recreational uses as well as the local economy. Studies have shown that as water quality declines the value of shorefront property also decreases.

Lakesmart is a completely voluntary program that involves an on-site evaluation to review the landscape and maintenance practices in four categories:

• Road, Driveway & Parking areas,
• Structures and Septic Systems,
• Lawn, Recreation Area and Footpaths,
• and shorefront & beach area.

If the owner's property exceeds the criteria in all four categories he/she will receive:

• A personalized award plaque,
• Publicity in local newspaper or newsletter, and
• Signs for their Lakesmart property (optional).

Homeowners may schedule a visit to be evaluated for a Lakesmart Award by contacting DEP or the local Soil and Water Conservation District. Volunteers from Bremen who are certified as pre-screeners for the Lakesmart Program are Mary Berger, Bob Wheeler, Bennett Collins and Dennis Prior.

Visit the Lakesmart website at www.MaineDEP.com for more information.

QLF Exhibit Coming in August!

The BCC is working with the Quebec Labrador Foundation to exhibit their beautiful maps of Muscongus Bay.  These maps are detailed, theme oriented and beautifully done.  In addition the MVLT, PWA, Lakesmart and the BCC will be taking part in this event. The BCC is hoping for an opening at the Bremen Town House sometime around the second week in August.  More information will be available soon in the local newspapers.  Watch for more details or check back here soon!

Volunteers Needed

The Bremen Conservation Commission is forming a sub-committee to address issues relating to water quality and water resources in Bremen. The focus of the committee will be lakes and ponds, with some members participating in the Lakesmart program which recognizes landowners who practice stewardship of their waterfront properties.
Future focus areas for this sub-committee could be fishery protection, shellfish conservation and groundwater supplies. Anyone with concerns with the health of our water resources should contact Bennett Collins at 650-4759 or by emailing bcc@tidewater.net.

Warning - Invasive Plant Species

Yellow flag-iris

(Iris pseudacorus)

Yellow flag-iris (Iris pseudacorus) is an eye-catching perennial, found in wet areas at low- to mid-elevations, growing in ditches, irrigation canals, marshes, stream and lake shorelines and shallow ponds. Currently yellow flag-iris is distributed in BC's southern interior, and has quickly spread throughout the Okanagan valley, lower Similkameen valley, Christina Lake and other isolated sites in the West Kootenays. Plants have showy yellow flowers with 3 sepals that curve backward and 3 petals pointing upwards. Leaves fold and clasp the stem at the base in a fan-like fashion. They stand erect or bent at the top, with long sword-like leaves toward the outside of the plant. At maturity, plants can reach 1.5 metres in height. Yellow flag-iris reproduces quickly through seed dispersal and horizontal root systems, creating thickets in the water like cattails. Up to several hundred flowering plants may be connected rhizomatously under the water, and fragments can form new plants when they break off and drift downstream. Yellow flag-iris is widely sold in nurseries and on the Internet for wet areas and well-mulched soil. While seeds disperse in the wind and water, popularity of the plant in the market exacerbate efforts to contain new infestations. Dense stands of yellow flag-iris exclude native wetland species, threatening plant and animal diversity. Warning: Yellow flag-iris can sicken livestock if ingested, though it is generally avoided by grazing animals. Contact with the resins can cause skin irritation in humans.

BCC members attend Lakesmart Training

On June 22nd the state pilot Lakesmart Training Program was held at the Bremen Town House. Co-coordinated by the Pemaquid Watershed Association. (PWA), Damariscotta Lake Watershed Associaiton. (DLWA) and the Muscongus Pond Association the Bremen Conservation Commission represented the Town of Bremen well as Mary Berger, Bennett Collins and Dennis Prior completed a full day of classroom and on-site evaluation training to become Lakesmart evaluators.

The Lakesmart Program recognizes property owners in lake watersheds who manage and landscape their property to protect lake water quality. Declining water quality can affect the type and number of fish species that inhabit the lake and can harm other recreational uses as well as the local economy. Studies have shown that as water quality declines the value of shorefront property also decreases.

Lakesmart evaluations involve a site visit to review the landscape and maintenance practices in four categories:

• Road, Driveway & Parking areas,
• Structures and Septic Systems,
• Lawn, Recreation Area and Footpaths,
• and shorefront & beach area.

If the owner's property exceeds the criteria in all four categories he/she will receive:

• A personalized award plaque,
• Publicity in local newspaper or newsletter, and
• Signs for their Lakesmart property (optional).

Homeowners may schedule a visit to be evaluated for a Lakesmart Award by contacting DEP or the local Soil and Water Conservation District.

Visit the Lakesmart website at www.MaineDEP.com for more information.

Have you checked your septic tank lately?

When did you last check your septic tank? Do you even know where it is located on your property? When was the last time you pumped out your septic tank? Many of us forget that our septic systems should be pumped out every 2-3 years to maintain healthy septic field function. A properly maintained septic tank will extend the life of your septic field by years. By the time problems are identified with your septic field it is usually too late. Spending a couple hundred dollars is good insurance against a failed septic system that can cost thousands if it needs to be replaced. I encourage everyone to locate their tanks and take a look? Is it time for pumping?

Public service announcement - Submitted by Dennis Prior

BCC 2009 Sterling Dow Award Recipient

The Bremen Conservation Commission was recently awarded the Sterling Dow Conservation Commission of the Year Award by the Maine Association of Conservation Commissions for 2009.
Bob Shafto of the MEACC presented the award May 21st to the Bremen selectmen in front of well attended selectmen's meeting of BCC members, associates, volunteers and supporters.
The MEACC recognized the BCC for its outstanding leadership, community involvement, ongoing public conservation awareness programs and the completion of its open space plan which has been a model for open space planning in the State of Maine.
The BCC wishes to thank everyone who contributed to and supported its efforts over the past 3 years.

Bremen Favors Conservation Bonds

Are Bremen residents in favor of Open Space Conservation? The Bremen Conservation Commission thinks so. Attendence at workshops and public forums held by the BCC, and town votes to set up and appropriate funds for a Conservation Account seem to indicate that they are. But we've found further proof.

At a recent Open Space Conservation Planning and Finance Workshop, we learned that Maine voters passed three referendum questions favoring conservation bonds in 1999, 2005, and 2007 by what one speaker called significant margins -- 69%, 65%, and 63% respectively.

These bonds have been used to purchase public lands and easements for such things as conservation, water access, working waterfront, outdoor recreation, wildlife and fish habitat and farmland preservation throughout the State.

Curious as to how Bremen voted on these referenda questions, we checked elections results on the Secretary of State's website, and found Bremen voters favored issuing conservation bonds by even higher margins -- 71%, 74%, and 65%.

Way to go, Bremen!

Recreation Committee Gearing Up

If you are a Bremen resident and have interest in getting involved with the Bremen Recreation Committee please email bcc@tidewater.net or call Dennis Prior @ 529-2987

Lakesmart Training Program to be held in Bremen

LakeSmart Volunteer Site Evaluator Training will be held at the Bremen Town House, Monday June 22nd, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Two sample site visits will be conducted to supplement the training on Damariscotta Lake. If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer for the Lakesmart Program please RSVP with info@pemaquidwatershed.org.

What is Lakesmart?

How we develop the land that drains to a lake can have a huge effect on the water quality. If we bring the suburban landscaping practice or large lush lawns to the lakeshore or even the lake watershed, we bring more sources of pollution. With fewer natural, vegetated areas to absorb stormwater, more pollutants from the land get washed into the lake each time it rains or snow melts.

Pristine lake waters add beauty, increase property value and provide recreational opportunities throughout the seasons. Studies have shown that as water quality declines the value of shorefront property also decreases. Declining water quality can also affect the type and number of fish species that inhabit the lake and can hinder other recreational uses of the lake as well as the local economy.

Clearly it is in everyone's best interest to take whatever actions they can to protect lake water quality. LakeSmart is an educational program that offers FREE opportunities for homeowners to learn how to manage their home and yard to protect the water quality of their lake. The goal of LakeSmart is to change the increasingly common suburban landscaping practices around lakes to more natural, lake-friendly environments.

The primary focus of LakeSmart is to keep our lake water clean by stabilizing eroding areas, reducing the use of chemicals, diverting rainwater into vegetated areas, and minimizing lawns and other impervious areas. Landscaping and managing your property in an environmentally friendly manner through LakeSmart is one way to do your part in protecting your lake's water quality and have a low maintenance, great looking property.

For more info on the Lakesmart Program click on the link below:

www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/doclake/lakesmart/index.htm

ALB Threat: Asian Longhorned Beetles

The Maine Department of Agriculture will be holding a day-long workshop on Tuesday, June 16 in Augusta to train volunteers to educate the public about the potential threat of ALB. They are looking for people willing to attend this workshop and share the information within their communities. The workshop is free, and lunch and snacks will be provided. Participants will be asked to conduct three or more outreach events in their communities in July and August, with the assistance of the Department.

If interested please contact Anne Bills at the Department of Agriculture at annebills@rocketmail.com or 207-287-3892 and more information will be provided.

The Asian longhorned beetle is a destructive pest of many hardwood tree species including maple, elm, ash, and birch. The threat to shade trees, forests, lumber and maple sugar production, nurseries and tourism is very high should this beetle become established in Maine. ALB was first discovered in New York in 1996 and has since been found in three other states, the closest being Massachusetts. Beetles may be transported by movement of wood products such as firewood, packing crates and pallets. Educating the public about this major forest threat is crucial to the health of Maine’s trees.

Sold Out!

The Earth Day sale of compost bins by the Bremen Conservation Commission was a success way beyond what we ever imagined, a total of 140 bins! The pick up date for the bins is Saturday, May 23, 8 a.m. to noon, in the parking lot by the Bremen Fire Station.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the sale, and a special thanks to Town Clerk Joanne McGregor who ended up fielding a lot of the phone calls and organzied our order forms.

The BCC did not make any profit on the compost bin sale; we sponsored it as a service to the citizens of Bremen and neighboring towns, and as a way for them to learn about us and what we do.

Crazy idea saved a piece of paradise By Bill Nemitz

A wonderful story of how people worked together to conserve land. A must read! Click on link below to read full story
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=249334&ac=PHnws

Calendar Photo

Do you have a favorite photograph you've taken in the Medomak Valley Watershed?  If so, why not submit it for the Medomak Valley Land Trust's 2010 Calendar. Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2009.  You may email photos to volmvlt@midcoast.com. Or mail to: Maria Jenness c/o Medomak Valley Land Trust, PO Box 180, Waldoboro ME 04572.   For details about the contest, and a map of the watershed, see the MVLT website, listed at the bottom right side of this page.  

 

Speaking of land trusts, Bremen is fortunate to be served by two outstanding local land trusts, MVLT and the Pemaquid Watershed Assocation.  Both have numerous spring and summer activites planned.  Check out their websites at the bottom right of this page.  

Biodiversity

Maintaining biodiversity is an important aspect of conservation efforts. Here's some information about scientific studies and reports on biodiversity.

For the first time, the science on Maine's freshwater animals and plans has been collected into one report, "Freshwater Biodiversity in Maine." The report includes every known freshwater species and habitat type in Maine, provides information on habitat types and threats to Maine's freshwater biodiversity, and offers recommendations to protect that biodiversity. The report can be viewed or downloaded from
www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mnap/aquatic/index/htm.

A study from the Environmental Law Institute www.eli.org/ called "Conservation Thresholds for Land Use Planners" provides a review and synthesis of information from the most up-to-date scientific literature for land use planners to use when making decisions affecting biodiversity. The report summarizes what is known within the scientific community about potential land use planning and design thresholds and offers general guidance on how to transform traditional planning aproaches into more ecologically-based conservation tools. The study may be downloaded from http://www.elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=10839. We have Chuck McGregor to thank for letting us know about this study.