Courtesy Boat Inspection Training

Pemaquid Watershed Association courtesy boat inspection training will be held May 22nd from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the Nobleboro Town Office. We need volunteers to sit by local boat launches for a few hours at a time to help educate boaters about the serious invasives that are carried on trailers, fishing gear, motors and boats. This threat is very close to Bremen. Last fall, a trained (invasive plant) volunteer found the hydrilla in Damariscotta Lake.

Bremen Clean-Up Day

Mark Saturday, April 24, on your calendar and plan to participate in Bremen Clean-Up Day.  Pick up the trash that has accumulated along the roadside during the winter, put in it trash bags, and set the bags along the roadside for pickup.  Special trash bags will be available Saturday morning at the Firehouse.  Watch this space for further details. 

Harvest Dinner

As a way of showcasing Bremen's working farms and waterfront, the BCC plans to hold a Harvest Dinner in the Town House in September.  The first planning meeting for the event will be at 10 a.m. on Sat., April 3, at Diane O'Connor's home, 145 Waldoboro Rd.  Anyone who would like to help plan this event, suggest people who can provide food for the event, cook food, work in the ktichen etc., is invited to attend. 

Grant Writing Workshop

The Maine Association of Conservation Commissions and the Maine Land Trust Network are co-sponsoring a workshop designed to improve your chances of successfully obtaining funding from three major conservation grant programs in Maine.

The three include:

The Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program. MNRCP provides funding for wetlands restoration, enhancement and preservation,
thus is a good source for open space acquisition funds.

The Recreational Trails Program. RTP is an excellent source of funding
for trail building projects, including design, materials and labor.

Project Canopy. This Maine Forest Service program provides funds to
towns for both forest management and shade tree planting.

In addition, information will also be presented regarding Land for Maine’s Future
grants and various private foundation grant sources.

The workshops will be held on the following schedule:
Augusta, April 15th, Augusta City Hall
Scarborough, May 5th, Scarborough Public Library

Both workshops will start promptly at 5:30 and end by 7:30. A light meal will
be provided. The participation fee will be $20 for MEACC and MLTN members
and $30 for non-members, payable by purchase order or at the door. Please
register at least seven days in advance of each workshop

Town of Bremen Maintains Conservation Commitment

For the third straight year the people of Bremen have displayed their commitment toward conservation by voting to raise and appropriate monies to the Land Conservation Reserve Fund. Funds deposited into this account could one day be used to acquire conservation easements, rights-of-way, waterfront access or open space. As one of only a handful of towns to have a dedicated Land Conservation Fund, it is a critical component in the process of applying for grants and obtaining matching funds to complete important conservation transactions.

In another show of support Bremen voters passed an article not to operate an alewife fishery for the ensuing year of 2010.  Through passage of this article Bremen maintains its alewife conservation status, ensures annual stocking of Webber Pond with adult spawning alewives and works toward long term sustainability of the alewife fishery.

Once again the Bremen Conservation Commission is proud of Bremen's overwhelming support and commitment toward conservation!

Thank you!

Good News for Maine's Deer Population

Maine's deer population is getting a boost from this winter's mild weather after two straight harsh winters that thinned the ranks of the state's signature game animal.  With warm temperatures and scant snowfall, deer have had to expend relatively little energy fighting off frigid cold or tramping through deep snow in search of food.  Deer biologist Lee Kantar of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said fawns that were born last year have had a high survival rate, and the baby deer that are born this June are expected to be in good shape because their mothers are strong.  The most recent estimate puts Maine's deer count at under 200,000, down from more than 300,000 a decade ago. 

Article, Portland Press Herald, March 27, 2010

2010 BCC Wordle - Check it out!

Trees and Shrub Sale

Soil and Water Conservation Districts Tree and Shrub Sales

Looking for trees and shrubs to plant this spring?   Consider purchasing them through your local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). SWCDs are non-profit organizations who provide conservation education and technical assistance. Their tree and shrub sales are typically a major fundraiser for these organizations.

Knox-Lincoln SWCD has announced its annual Tree & Shrub Sale. Orders are due May 3^rd, with pick-up in Nobleboro on May 8^th. More information, including a list of what's available, is at www.knox-lincoln.org.

Kennebec County SWCD reminds everyone that their annual Tree and Shrub Sale is ongoing. The deadline for orders is March 19^th. Pick up for orders is Saturday, April 24^th. A tree list and order form is available at their website, www.kcswcd.org.

 

Forest Talk

George Jacobsen, Professor Emeritus at UMO and State Climatologist, will give a talk on The Influence of Climate Variability on Maine's Forests -- Past and Future, at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 22, at the Bremen Town Center.  The Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) is sponsoring presentation.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  

Working with your Woodlot

If you hurry, you can still sign up for a course for woodland owners sponsored by the Maine Forest Service and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) and given through adult education in Waldoboro. 

 

The course will be held 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Tuesday from March 9 to April 13 at Medomak Valley High School; Pre-registration is required; call the adult education office at 832-5205 to sign up. Cost is $30.  The class will be taught by Mort Moesswilde, Midcoast district forester for MFS, and will cover forest stewardship, forest management techniques, wildlife management, tree identification, forest health, harvesting, and working with professionals.   

 

Part of the course, but also available separately, is a presentation March 23, by SWOAM executive director Tom Doak on "The 10 Biggest Mistakes Made by Woodland Owners."  For $10 you can register for this one-night class alone.   

BCC now on Facebook

In addition to the BCC blog (www.bremenconservation.blogspot.com) you can now follow the Bremen Conservation Commission on Facebook!! Your participation is encouraged!

Grant Writing Workshops

MEACC and the Maine Land Trust Network are co-sponsoring two workshops designed to improve your chances of successfully obtaining funding from three major conservation grant programs in Maine. The three include the Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program (open space acquisition); The Recreational Trails Program (trail building projects); and Project Canopy (forest management, shade trees). In addition, information will also be presented regarding Land for Maine's Future grants and various private foundation grant sources.

The workshops will be held in Augusta on April 15th and Scarborough on May 5th. Details, including registration information can be found at www.meacc.net

MEACC Regional Workshops

The Maine Association of Conservation Commissions is sponsoring a series of regional workshops designed to showcase the work of local conservation commissions that are having a significant impact on their community’s environment and quality of place. Each session will feature presentations by conservation commissions that have done exemplary job of protecting their community’s natural resources. Some workshops will include an orientation to the various local conservation planning tools developed by the Beginning with Habitat program; others will include information on how a community that does not have a conservation commission might create one. (Specific agendas will vary by location.)The featured projects were developed by the conservation commissions in Wells, Lamoine, Falmouth, Rockport and Kennebunkport. Each workshop is free and open to all conservation commission members, elected and appointed town officials and other people interested in learning more about the work of conservation commissions and the value they offer municipalities. All workshops will start at 4:00 p.m. and end by 6:00 p.m. They are scheduled on the following dates and locations. Pre-registration is required.

Falmouth, Wednesday, March 31st, Falmouth Memorial Library

Wells, Tuesday, April 6th, Laudholm Farm

Ellsworth, Tuesday April 13th, Ellsworth City Hall

Waldoboro, Tuesday, April 27th, UME Extension Center

Maine conservation success stories

From efforts to contain suburban sprawl in Brunswick, to protecting open space in Rockland and Wells, local conservation commissions are having a significant impact on their communities. And, for the first time, those accomplishments are being documented in case studies that are now available at the Maine Association of Conservation Commission’s Web site (www.meacc.net).

“These case studies are designed to give other people ‘how-to examples’ of projects that can make a real difference in a community and to motivate others to tackle such substantial work,” said Bob Shafto of Falmouth, executive director of the Maine Association of Conservation Commissions.

“The intent of the case studies is to expand the universe of ideas available to conservation commission members around the state, and to give them the opportunity to learn from the experience of others,” he said.

The collection (titled “Home Rules, Home Tools: Locally Led Conservation Achievements”) includes the following case studies:

• Brunswick’s rural smart growth initiative, one of the earliest and most comprehensive efforts in Maine to contain suburban sprawl;

• Falmouth’s comprehensive open-space protection effort, including its land acquisition, financing and management strategies;

• Kennebunkport’s “Lawns to Lobsters” initiative, an extensive effort to minimize fertilizer and pesticide use in the community;

• Rockport’s successful effort to protect open space and the extensive views around Clam Cove; and

• Wells’ successful effort to protect open space for future generations.

These stories all illustrate the role that conservation commissions can play in local government. One of the lessons to come out of the case studies is that “to be effective, conservation commissions need to be actively involved in multiple levels of town government,” said Steven McAllister, a member of the Rockport Conservation Commission.

“This means working together with town boards and committees to ensure that the commission's interests are represented and considered, especially with regard to the comprehensive planning process, ordinance writing and review, and in decisions made by the town's planning board,” said McAllister.

Conservation commissions advise elected and appointed officials on environmental issues and undertake initiatives designed to address local environmental concerns. Commissions build trails, work to control invasive species, develop open space plans, propose ordinances, work with school children, educate citizens about pesticide use, monitor development, protect their town’s special wild places, and work to keep Maine communities attractive places to live, work and raise families.

At one time, most Maine communities had a conservation commission, but those numbers dwindled over the past 30 years as the state created its system for environmental stewardship.

However, growing development pressures have underscored the need for community-based responses. That is what prompted Shafto, a longtime environmental leader in Falmouth, to re-start the dormant Maine Association of Conservation Commissions three years ago. The state association’s goal is to ensure that every Maine community has an active, effective conservation commission.

And Shafto said he sees a trend developing. More than two-dozen towns have created (or re-created) a conservation commission in the past three years, and another half-dozen are in the process of doing so. According to the Maine State Planning Office, a significant number of towns have set a goal of creating a conservation commission in their comprehensive plan.

“A lot of Maine’s quality places are in its towns and cities,” said Shafto. “Thus, municipalities have an important role to play if we are serious about protecting Maine’s unique quality of place.”

Great News from Maine Audubon

Great news! You can sign up—now!—for summer 2010 ornithology programs at Hog Island Audubon Center. As you know, a committee of Audubon and Maine Audubon staff has worked with expert consultants for nearly a year, envisioning options for the island consistent with its celebrated environmental education history and potential. The work continues, and while it does, the two organizations have agreed to re-establish programming in 2010. Audubon’s internationally recognized Project Puffin Seabird Restoration Program will lead five distinct sessions of bird-loving bliss, working with a team of dynamic instructors, including Kenn Kaufman and Pete Dunne: Maine Seabird Biology and Conservation (May 30-June 4) Field Ornithology I (June 13-18) Field Ornithology II (June 20-25) Maine Coast Birding Studies for Teens (June 20-25) Maine Seabird Biology and Conservation (September 12-17) Get more information and download registration forms at: www.projectpuffin.org. Or e-mail projectpuffin@audubon.org. We hope that, like us, you see this as good news, and will spread the word. These are the only programs the historic center will offer in 2010, and space is limited. As our committee continues its work, we want you to know that we share with Hog Island’s loyal alumni, past instructors, and supporters the desire for long-term arrangements that will continue Hog Island’s historic service to conservation. Toward that goal, we hope you will help us fill our 2010 sessions with enthusiastic participants. Thank you for your continuing support.

Town Landing at Southern End of Bremen Long Island

Perhaps you never knew but yes there are two public access points to the Town Road on Bremen Long Island. Perhaps they're not the easiest to find but there nevertheless. This photo is the southern Town Landing just to the left of the Boathouse. A great half day trek from either end of the island for any residents of Bremen looking for a nice fall day outdoors. Enjoy :)

Posted by the Bremen Recreation Committee

Woodland Owner's Shortcourse

Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District and the Camden Public Library, together with the Maine Forest Service, will be hosting a workshop entitled "A Woodland Owner's Shortcourse" on Saturday, November 7. Landowners and others interested in learning more about taking care of or managing woodlands are invited to attend.

The workshop presenter will be Morten Moesswilde, Midcoast District Forester for Maine Forest Service.

This introductory "shortcourse" will highlight basic elements of successful woodland stewardship and point landowners toward the resources to achieve them. It will address developing landowner goals, basic woodland ecology & assessment, essential administrative/ planning decisions, and key elements of a successful timber harvest.

The goal is to make woodland owners, and others who work with woodland owners in different capacities, more familiar with the basics of forest stewardship.

The course will include information on the steps in forest stewardship planning for the long-term, as well as an overview of timber harvesting. "I don't assume that all landowners will have a specific interest in timber management" Moesswilde says. "I include information about it in this course because, in my experience, the principles of timber harvesting apply equally for very different kinds of projects – everything from thinning an acre or less, to larger-scale harvesting. And cutting trees can aim at a variety of goals, everything from wildlife habitat to aesthetics to producing income. Either way, it's important to understand the process."

The course will take place on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (includes ½ hour lunch break—bring your own), in the Jean Picker Room at the Camden Public Library, 55 Main Street in Camden. There is no fee for the course. Please register in advance by November 4 so that we can have adequate materials on hand. To register for this event or for more information, please contact Rebecca Jacobs at 273-2005 x 101 or send an email Rebecca.jacobs@me.nacdnet.net

 

Talk on Oyster Farming at Bremen Library

Dana Morse will give a talk about Oyster Farming In Maine at the Bremen Library on Monday, November 2, at 6:30 p.m.

 

Dana  is an Extension Associate for the Maine Sea Grant Program, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension.  He works out of the Darling Marine Center in Walpole and focuses mostly on issues in marine fisheries and shellfish aquaculture, such as selectivity in trawl and scallop fishing, scallop stock enhancement and spat collection, and shellfish  production, including the recreational Oyster Gardening Program and helping new growers get started. 

 

Dana's background includes a BS in Wildlife Management from the Univ. of New Hampshire, an MS in Fisheries Technology from the University of Rhode Island.

 

His talk will focus on how Oyster Farming started in Maine, how it has evolved, its successes and  challenges, and why the Damariscotta River is so good for growing oysters.  

 

The Bremen Library is located on Rt. 32 in front of the Bremen Town Office. 

 

BCC to attend Community Forest Workshop

The Bremen Conservation Commission will be sending two members to attend the all day workshop on Community Forests in Bath on October 23rd.. The workshop is designed to engage participants through facilitated exercises that promote an exchange of questions, information and experience on issues related to:

• Different models of ownership and management of community forests

• Challenges and opportunities for communities in owning and managing forestland

• Engaging your community in acquiring and managing a community forest

• What resources are available to help communities own and manage forestland

• What roles community forests play in achieving local or regional conservation goals, town master planning efforts, and local community development

• Guided site visits to the Bath community forests during lunch.

Please contact Dennis Prior (529-2987) or Diane O'Connor (529-4499) if you should have any questions regarding this workshop.

Muscongus Pond Alewife Update: October 6, 2009

I actually smelled them before I saw them. I have looked for them
over the summer, but no confirmation until today. I had found the remains of what I hoped to be a young alewife in a downstream beaver dam, but it wasn't until I saw an actual school that the celebrating started.

They may not be here in the numbers as recent summers when DMR would
stock the pond. These are however a few very important young alewife. (The photo does not do justice.) The summer of 2009 now marks the first year since the installation in the 1960's of the southern RT 32/ Muscongus Stream culvert that "naturally" returning adult alewife reached and spawned in Bremen's Webber Pond. If you remember this past June ascending adult alewife successfully used a fish ladder to pass upstream of the southern hanging MEDOT RT 32 culvert. They also passed the remains of the old Webber Mill and yet another challenging RT 32 culvert before crossing a beaver dam into the lake. THESE CULVERTS MUST GO! Culverts are unnatural structures that accelerate a consistent water flow, and do not allow bypass alternate routes for fish etc... I will provide other fish ladders until these culverts are removed.

Fish ladders are a poor alternative, that work only under ideal conditions. This small population of now resident alewife will likely not prosper until future culvert removal. Though the 09' fish ladder was demolished in the late June flood, the effort was worthwhile.

I am excited!

Dave Wilkins