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Effort Underway to have Woodstock Acquire Buck's Ledge Parcel

March 26, 2008 - WOODSTOCK -- Woodstock selectmen Monday voted to support "a philosophy of working toward maybe acquiring Buck's Ledge as a town property, subject to approval by town voters." The vote came in response to a request from Jane Chandler and Marcel Polak of the Woodstock Conservation Commission.

They are proposing to apply for grant funding and supplement the funding primarily with private donations to purchase the 640-acre parcel. A new approach for the past several years, the Mahoosuc Land Trust has been trying to find a way to preserve the Buck's Ledge property, which overlooks North Pond.

MLT has sought a private developer willing to develop a lower portion of the property while preserving the ledges area. The ledges provide views of the surrounding area and are themselves a prominent view from Route 26 near the pond. But, Polak said last week, limited development is very complex and at this time it is not a likely option. The property is currently owned by Bayroot LLC, a real estate investment trust company.

Another option, Polak said, might be for Woodstock to own the land and operate it as a town forest. Under such an arrangement, the town would manage the timberland and earn some income from wood harvesting. Other parts of the property could be used for recreation such as hiking, snowmobiling and hunting, depending on the wishes of townspeople.

Across Maine and New England, the town forest "is an old idea that fell out of favor, but is now gathering steam," said Polak.

The idea now appeals to towns and residents who are leery of preservation through federal and/or state funding, he said.

"It puts it right back down to the local level," he said.

Polak said the towns of Errol and Randolph, N.H., have respectively 5,000 and 10,000acre town forests.

In Woodstock, the Conservation Commission could work at the municipal level in partnership with MLT to create a town forest proposal, Polak said. If the town favored the plan, MLT would hold a conservation easement on the property to assure the land would be preserved long-term, he said. Any plan for Woodstock to own Buck's Ledges would have to be approved by voters.

Polak told selectmen Tuesday that the estimated cost of the parcel is $750,000. He and Chandler said that one option would be to apply for grant funding from the Land for Maine's Future program. The state program has been known to provide up to 2/3 of the cost of parcels approved for preservation, he said. If a grant could be obtained, local organizers would work with MLT to provide a match, largely through private donations. The process would be similar to the successful fundraising effort to save the Rumford White Cap property, Polak said. The Town of Woodstock would be asked to contribute financially to the Buck's Ledge effort. The amount would be determined later. Chandler said if a grant is awarded, a possible timeline might see a proposal brought before voters at next year's Town Meeting.

"A year from now, we might be able to look at numbers Woodstock could afford," Chandler said.

She said she plans to present general information to townspeople at this month's Town Meeting. Selectman Bruce Korhonen said he liked the idea, as long as the land was available for all recreational activities, including ATVs. Rick Young said ATV and snowmobile use could be compatible as long as clubs coordinate with each other.

Chandler and Polak asked the board for a letter of support they could use in a possible LMF application. The board then voted to support the concept of town ownership.

Polak said the Woodstock Conservation Commission is being re-activated with two missions in mind: consider a town forest as a means to preserve Buck's Ledge; and address the natural resources priorities in the Comprehensive Plan.

The commission "has been there for 20 years," said Polak, but in recent years the group has been relatively inactive. The second role for the reinvigorated CC would be to make specific plans to implement the broad goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

"The plan [compiled by Jim Chandler] has lots of language about open space and natural resources," Polak said.

Other members of the CC are Jim Chandler and Nancy Willard. New members, pending formal approval from the town, will be Jane Chandler and Peter Fetchko.

SOURCE: BETHEL CITIZEN

DATE: 03-06-2008


Lakes: North Pond, South & Round Ponds
Regions: Sebago


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