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WINTRHOP — Mount Vernon residents George and Linda Smith have helped Kennebec Land Trust reach the 6,248-acre conserved mark on March 21 with their donation of the 125-acre Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation Area Forest in Mount Vernon.
Located off of Route 41, the Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation Area will be managed to protect wildlife habitat and water quality. for low impact outdoor recreation, and as a sustainable forestry demonstration site. The eastern boundary of the property is close to the largely undeveloped Hopkins Stream corridor. The 125-acre hilly property conserves a 50-acre wetland with a large vernal pool, a well-managed mixed hardwood-conifer forest and a deer wintering area. The interior of the property and parts of Hopkins Stream are identified as Resource Protection Areas in the Mount Vernon’s Comprehensive Plan. The extensive undeveloped uplands and wetlands along the Hopkins stream corridor provide important wildlife habitat for ducks and wading birds.
The Smiths said that George’s father, Ezra Smith, who died in 2014, would have been honored to know that their land was donated to the Kennebec Land Trust in his name. George recently noted, “Linda and I have enjoyed KLT’s trails and programs, and we chose them especially because of their commitment to teaching kids about conservation. Our woodlot will be used to teach kids about wildlife and wildlife habitat, and we’re very excited about that.” George Smith is a wildlife writer and was executive direct of the Maine Sportsman’s Alliance for 18 years.
Wetland, wildlife habitat, and forest management interpretive signs will be placed at locations along a new trail, which will feature the property’s interior wetland, headwater streams, and uplands. A parking area on Route 41 will provide safe access to the property for school groups, hikers and hunters. The Ezra Smith Conservation Area will be open to the public for year-round outdoor recreation including hiking, nature observation, fishing and hunting.
Mary Denison, president of the KLT Board of Directors, said, “We are so grateful to George and Linda for donating this valuable property to the trust. This publicly accessible conservation land will be an outdoor classroom for school students from Mount Vernon and surrounding towns where children of all ages will learn about the many values of Maine’s wetland and forested habitats.”
A property dedication will be held on Oct. 13. KLT’s staff, summer interns, and volunteers will develop the Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation Area trail this summer.
Since 1988, the land trust has worked cooperatively with landowners and communities to conserve the forests, shorelands, fields, and wildlife that define central Maine. The trust’s conserved lands encompass more than 6,248 acres in the Kennebec River and Lakes region. Most of the property is open to the public for hiking, outdoor recreation, nature observation and hunting. For more information call 207-377-2848 or visit www.tklt.org
PHOTO: The forested wetland at the Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation Area. (Jean-Luc Theriault photo)
