Newly Protected Parcel Connects York Land Trust Headquarters to Smelt Brook Preserve
June 26, 2018
We are pleased to announce that York Land Trust recently purchased 7 acres next door to our headquarters that links us to our 300-acre Smelt Brook Preserve. The property would have been sold and developed as a house lot, had we not purchased it.
The new parcel includes a meadow, woods, salt marsh, and frontage on Smelt Brook, a major tributary of the York River.
Our new Near Point Trail meanders through this parcel and adjacent land offering visitors an easy walk through a variety of habitats with gorgeous views. There is plenty of parking available near the kiosk in our parking lot where the trail head is located.
The entire York River Estuary that the property falls within has been recognized on the state and national level for its outstanding and notable ecological values. The River provides habitat for 100 species of birds, including blue herons, night herons, white egrets and the rare saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow. A recent fish survey by the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve identified 26 fish species in the River including rainbow smelt, alewife and brook trout.
We’ve spotted a variety of other animals making their way through the property on a game camera we have set up, including a bobcat and river otters.
The 7-acre parcel helps piece together a mosaic of connected lands that the partners of the Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative (MtA2C) have worked to protect spanning from the Tatnic Hills in Wells to the coast of Kittery. This vast network of conservation lands provides contiguous pathways for wildlife to travel through and more extensive trail systems for residents and visitors to explore.
The purchase of this property would not have been possible without the generous support of Deborah and Warren Taylor. We have dedicated the Near Point Trail to the Taylors in honor of their generosity and commitment to keeping land accessible to the public. We are also grateful for critical project funding from Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
We hope you’ll come visit us soon and take a walk on the beautiful Near Point Trail!