is to preserve the ecological systems and cultural values of the Upper Saco River Valley. We will provide for the continued well-being and availability of land for farming, forestry, recreation, and education, as well as for land remaining in its natural state, benefiting natural and human communities.

We seek to achieve our mission through the forging and fostering of partnerships for land conservation, and through respectful stewardship, while being mindful of our heritage, our place, and our vision and responsibility for the future.

Will Rogers was right. There is no new land. Sure, there are new roads and new buildings - new expansion into our rural community settings - but there is no new land. This may sound like gloom and doom, but it doesn't have to be.

USVLT protects open space primarily through the use of conservation easements, which are non - development agreements granted in perpetuity by private landowners to qualified organizations such as USVLT. We are especially interested in conserving lands for farming, forestry, public recreation, scenic enjoyment and wildlife habitat.