Land Trust completes fundraising for East Windham Conservation Project

By Ed Pierce

The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust has sufficiently raised enough funding to complete the East Windham Conservation Project.

A scenic viewpoint looks west on woods Road from the new
East Windham Conservation Project, expected to be open
by next fall to the public. 
PHOTO COURTESY OF TED ANDERSON 

According to a newsletter issued by the organization, the land trust received nearly 400 gifts for the East Windham Conservation Project, with 150 of those being first-time gifts to the land trust. The Land Trust spent much of the summer fundraising for the project, which when completed will be the largest block of unfragmented forest in Windham, and one of the largest in the Greater Portland area.

“A huge thank you to everyone who supported the project and to all ongoing Land Trust members and business partners who make conservation, clean water, and trails possible,” said Rachelle Curran Apse, executive director of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. “Special thanks to Gorham Savings Bank, who provided a $50,000 matching challenge gift.”

Curran Apse said that a complete the list of project sponsors, foundations, businesses, and organizations that supported the project is on the East Windham Conservation Project webpage.

“We are working with the Town of Windham to complete Land for Maine’s Future grant requirements this fall, in order to conserve the land by year's end,” Curran Apse said. “Once we conserve the land, we will begin building out the trailhead and 10 miles of trails. We are planning for a grand opening next fall. We will continue to share updates on the project throughout the year.”

In June, Windham residents voted during the Annual Town Meeting to allow the town to enter a partnership with Presumpscot Regional Land Trust to purchase and conserve 661 acres near Little Duck Pond in East Windham.

The East Windham Conservation Project would acquire the forested acreage for recreational opportunities in Windham while also adding 1,545 feet of undeveloped water frontage on Little Duck Pond, the 150-acre Deer Wintering Area for hunting, and the 580-foot Atherton Hill, the tallest hill in Windham.

This spring the Lands for Maine’s Future organization awarded the East Windham Conservation project $998,000 to help fund the initiative. The project will directly abut more than 1,000 acres of other conserved land in Windham and Falmouth, including Lowell Preserve, North Falmouth Community Forest, and Blackstrap Hill Preserve, providing 20 miles of interconnected trails and five trailheads for public access, and amounting to one of the largest unfragmented forests in the Greater Portland region.

Voters approved a bond to match the LMF award with open space impact fees so there will be no impact upon the mil rate for local homeowners. The project will preserve a part of Windham that residents have identified is an important area to conserve during increasing concerns about local development, offers scenic views of the western mountains and offers a place for outdoor recreation.

Prior to the town meeting, Amanda Lessard, Town of Windham Planning Director, said that in the latest Open Space Plan, Windham identified this area of East Windham as important to conserve for its large undeveloped habitat blocks, preservation of rural character and water quality protection. Lessard said that Windham has been collaborating with the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust over the past six months to engage the community on developing a vision for this property.

“With guidance from the steering committee, we held two community meetings, site walks of the property, and put out a town-wide survey that had 900 responses,” she said. “The top-ranked community benefit identified by the survey was to conserve the land to remain undeveloped for wildlife habitat, water quality protection and rural character. The second-highest ranked community benefit was to provide multiple-use outdoor recreation and create access for the whole community. Finally, the top four highest-ranked activities that will bring respondents to this land once it is conserved are walking, hiking, visiting an observation tower with 360-degree views, and experiencing scenic views of the White Mountains.”

The plan envisions a year-round trail head parking area, multi-use trails, access to fishing, hunting and wildlife observation area, a universal access trail connecting from Falmouth Road to Little Duck Pond and Atherton Hill, an observation tower that will provide scenic views to Casco Bay and Mount Washington, and destinations with scenic views of the western mountains and the pond. <