USVLT - Conservation Easement

Early morning mist on the Saco River

A few of the many boaters who enjoy paddling
this stretch of the river

The Upper Saco Valley Land Trust is extremely pleased to announce that we closed on the Pleasant Pond Floodplain Forest Project in January 2012. Permanently protecting 524 acres of land along the Saco River and Pleasant Pond in Fryeburg, Maine, this project was in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, & The Nature Conservancy in Maine. We are especially grateful to The Nature Conservancy for paying nearly all of the transaction costs for this project.

The Land Trust began the Pleasant Pond project in 2006 when our grant application to the federal Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) for $200,000 (subsequently increased to $245,000) was funded. The combined efforts of the project partners to persevere over the years to protect this property were well worth it because this is a spectacular piece of conservation land including:

2.97 miles of natural, undeveloped frontage on the Saco River
897 feet of natural, undeveloped frontage on Pleasant Pond
2,887 feet of scenic, undeveloped frontage on RT 302
silver maple floodplain forest, an exemplary state rare natural community
globally rare plant & animal species

Located in the Land Trust's Brownfield Bog/Pleasant Pond Focus Area, this property ranks as some of the highest value conservation land within our 11 town service area. This stretch of the Saco River is also enjoyed by hundreds of boaters annually.

Thanks so much to all — the landowners, LIP, TNC & USVLT Board & staff - who kept this project moving forward over the years!

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