In another win for conservation, clean water, wildlife, and residents of Scarborough, SLT recently purchased and will protect 32 acres along Beaver Brook to be named Beaver Brook Preserve.
The property, formerly part of 80 Beech Ridge Rd, consists of mature forests, intermittent streams, wetlands, and 1500 feet along Beaver Brook. The brook flows into the Scarborough Marsh, Maine’s largest contiguous salt marsh and an area of statewide ecological importance. A recent review by Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP) states that protecting land along Beaver Brook, “which is within a watershed with increasing development pressure, is beneficial to the ecology of the marsh, its habitats, and the species that depend on it.”
Beaver Brook is also home to wild Brook Trout. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) states that wild Brook Trout “thrive in clear, clean, well-oxygenated waters, and their populations are heavily influenced by their environment … they are incredibly resilient in their undisturbed habitats.”
The owners of the property, sisters Dianne Mills and Karen Lothrop, grew up on the property and wanted to see it conserved. “As a child, I had fields of green grass and lots of open space to play in, with paths in the woods and a brook to walk down to,” recalls Mills. “To me it would be a shame to see it destroyed and built up.”
Conserving the property addresses seven National, State, and Local Conservation plans, and will protect priority habitat for migratory birds and waterfowl, threatened/ endangered species, and species of greatest conservation need. SLT plans to protect the natural resources of the property as well as provide recreational opportunities.
The purchase was funded through grants from the state’s Land for Maine’s Future program, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, and the Town of Scarborough Land Bond, as well as donations from generous individuals. Funding from multiple sources is typically required to purchase and protect land of this size.
“Dianne and Karen were committed to protecting their land from the start,” said Scott Kunkler, Conservation Director of SLT. “They can now see their land protected forever, for the benefit of their family’s and Scarborough’s future, as it looked like when they were growing up.”
“I so appreciate the effort and work Scarborough Land Trust is doing,” Mills continued. “I am happy and at peace with the decision to preserve the land that I enjoyed, and want others to enjoy and see why it’s so important.”
