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By Jonah Raether
Kennebec Land Trust
FAYETTE — As town manager, Mark Robinson is very aware of the resources that make his town so special. The extensive shorelines of Lovejoy and Parker ponds, Echo Lake and other area ponds and streams are a draw for residents and visitors of all ages. The small population ensures a tight-knit community.
Robinson is also aware of threats to the community and the natural environment — the unstable future in the wake of climate change; local forests and waters threatened by the introduction of invasive species; the need for federal and state funding for education; concerns about the growing population of older individuals and their needs for future support as they age in place; and, as in many rural Maine communities, a concern about how a fast-growing population would impact the municipal budget and corresponding taxes for families and landowners.
He sees natural areas in Fayette as fundamental to addressing multiple issues at once, as long as the resources are sustainably managed with long-term consideration for future generations. In particular, large undeveloped and un-fragmented parcels of land, including those used for sustainable agriculture and forestry, or those providing “public value” through hunting, fishing or recreation, are resources that can benefit the entire community. These lands, mostly held by private landowners, provide valuable ecosystem services, like protecting drinking water, providing clean air, and helping mitigate climate change. Further, they help to ensure a viable
As an example, many of the largest parcels in town have dense conifers, lots of cedar, and large trees, all of which are requirements for a healthy deer wintering area. At a time when the number of DWAs across the state is declining, property owners in Fayette are helping to support their survival by keeping existing woodland intact. This is important to the town, because deer hunting brings visitors throughout the fall, and visiting hunters provide a boost for local businesses.
Ensuring sustainable wildlife habitat, however, is only one element of Fayette’s conservation goals. Robinson would like to see the “protection of a rural working landscape” all over town. In particular, there is a need for lands that are actively used for farming and forest management that will support and diversify the local economic base, while also contributing to statewide and global private and public conservation efforts.
The open expanses of land in Fayette are an asset to the community, but only if the parcels remain intact and undeveloped. Through partnerships and community-based land and resource management efforts, Robinson and the town are working to ensure long-term success for the community and the region.
In 2019, Kennebec Land Trust intern Jonah Raether interviewed five Kennebec County community members about their relationships and connections to the land and natural spaces. The Kennebec Land Trust works cooperatively with landowners and communities to conserve the forests, shorelands, fields and wildlife that define central Maine. The trust welcomes the public to explore its trails and properties, making their own connection with the natural world. For more information visit www.tklt.org or call 207-377-2848.
PHOTO: Surry Hill (Kennebec Land Trust photo)
