Lubec conservation purchases proposed

Several land conservation proposals in Washington County will be considered by the Land for Maine's Future Board at a meeting scheduled for July 14. The meeting will be held at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole at 1:30 p.m.

The board is scheduled to vote on supporting acquisition by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife of 93 acres, owned by Malcolm Lyons and Kathleen Lyons, and 100 acres, called the Black Head parcel, which is property of the estate of Arthur Fowler, both at Federal Harbor in Lubec. The two parcels of shoreland are adjacent to the Horan Head unit of the Cobscook Bay Wildlife Management Area. DIF&W anticipates that the properties will be added to the Horan Head unit as conservation and recreational lands.

The board also will be voting on supporting acquisition for the Heads of Estuaries project in Jonesport, a multi-parcel acquisition partnership of the Pleasant River Wildlife Foundation, Great Auk Land Trust and other partners to conserve wildlife habitats at the heads of the Pleasant River, Wohoa Bay, Indian River and Mason Bay estuaries. Parcels include the 160-acre Boncore property, the 80-acre Cormo property and the 5.1-acre Rouse property. The Pleasant River Wildlife Foundation anticipates that the property will be used as conservation and recreational lands.

An access improvement grant will be considered for the Pike Lands, a 126-acre property in North Lubec held by the Quoddy Regional Land Trust and HealthWays/Regional Medical Center at Lubec. The grant to improve public access would be for $17,500. An access improvement grant will also be considered for the Bog Brook Farm and Mountains and Meadows parcel in Cutler and Trescott, a 771-acre property held by Maine Coast Heritage Trust. The grant would be for $18,900.

New working waterfront proposals to be considered include The Wharf on Johnson's Bay in Lubec. The board will be deciding how to make a preliminary allocation of funds under the Working Waterfront pilot project. Six projects are being proposed, and after finalists are determined, protective covenants will be negotiated with the owners so that the land will not be converted to other uses that are not compatible with commercial fishing uses. The Lubec proposal was made by owner Victor Trafford and is seeking, in exchange for the protective covenant, 25% of the appraised value of the working waterfront portion of the former sardine plant property.