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Land Trust Gets Three Grants for Rec Area

January 22, 2008 -
NORWAY -- An organization seeking to establish a recreational area in the center of town moved closer to its goal this month with the receipt of three grants totaling more than $19,000.

The Western Foothills Land Trust, which purchased a 150 acre parcel on Pike's Hill for $310,000, received $19,025 in total. The Davis Conservation Foundation awarded the trust $10,000, the William P. Wharton Fund gave $5,000, and the L.L. Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program/Maine Coast Heritage Trust gave $4,025. The trust also received $2,300 from the Norcross Foundation toward the purchase of a laptop and a GPS unit and software.

Lee Dassler, program coordinator for the trust, said the organization has had to borrow equipment in the past. She said the laptop will be used to make presentations while the GPS equipment can be used in mapping out resources, trails and other areas in land parcels.

The Roberts Farm Preserve, as the land parcel is known, is the site of a former dairy farm in operation from 1884 to 2000. The trust purchased the land from the Growth Council of Oxford Hills after plans for a technology park on the site fell through.

Dassler said she argued that the preserve will conserve natural resources, protect Lake Pennesseewassee, and have recreational benefits in her grant applications. Plans for the preserve include the establishment of trails for cross-country skiing and running as well as other recreational activities.

The trust has received bids from trail designers John Morton of Thetford, Vt., and Mike Cooper of Bethel.

"Both of these guys were just wonderful," Dassler said. "Both designers hope to get the trails in by next season."

The trust has a no-interest loan on the property until October. Dassler said the trust has repaid $80,000 of the original purchase price.

SOURCE: SUN JOURNAL

DATE: 01-03-2008

Lakes: Pennesseewassee Lake
Regions: Sebago


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