In a historic moment for the Town of York, the York Country Club has sold its 186-acre property and all of its holdings to the York Golf and Tennis Club, giving this community organization a permanent home. As an essential part of this transaction, the Country Club shareholders chose — and the York Golf and Tennis Club readily agreed — to permanently conserve 174 acres of the newly acquired land to ensure that it remains undeveloped and accessible to the community for golf, tennis, and other recreational activities like sledding. York Land Trust’s conservation partner Maine Coast Heritage Trust will hold a conservation easement on this land.
The property’s large size and extensive frontage along the York River, which spans more than a mile, make it one of the most significant conservation projects in York’s history. It protects rich habitat along the York River utilized by shoreland and wading birds, river otter, and other wildlife. It is also one of the largest remaining undeveloped tracts of land touching saltwater in York, and thus represents one of the most significant projects possible within the focus area of the Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative.
Charley Steedman, longtime Board Member of York Land Trust, was pivotal in orchestrating this transaction over the course of more than a decade. We extend our sincere gratitude to Charley and to everyone involved in this important project that will benefit our community for generations to come.