FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vernal Pool Conservation Ramps Up in Southern York County
June 18, 2018
A coalition of land trusts in southern York County will ramp up efforts to locate and conserve vulnerable wetland habitats over the next year, thanks to funding from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.
Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative (MtA2C) partners — including York, Kittery, and Great Works Regional Land Trusts — along with the Wells Reserve and UMaine, Orono, received funding to map and monitor vernal pools in the MtA2C region, spanning from the Tatnic Hills in South Berwick to the rocky coast of Kittery.
Vernal pools emerge each spring within forested habitats and provide important breeding grounds for wood frogs, spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, and other unique animals. The greatest density of vernal pools in all of Maine exists in York County, but the pools in this region also face threats from development pressures that have intensified in recent years.
This project will give both land trusts and municipalities tools to protect and avoid impacts to these sensitive habitats. In the coming year, MtA2C will work with partners to create a map of potential vernal pools across the region using satellite imagery and LiDAR, a 3-D mapping technique. MtA2C will also train interested community members to identify vernal pool features and species. On properties where a landowner permits, volunteers will visit the mapped potential vernal pool locations to verify them on-the-ground. Volunteers interested in participating in this work will have the opportunity to train and get out in the field to monitor in the spring of 2019.
“We’re lucky to live in a place with such rich biological diversity, and we’re grateful for this opportunity to work toward keeping it that way,” says Karen Young, MtA2C Coordinator.
Information about the locations of vernal pools gathered through this process will be made available to municipal staff and committees to inform planning decisions on the local level. The MtA2C partners will also use the information to increase protection of land with important vernal pools.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
This project was funded in part by the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, in which proceeds from the sale of a dedicated instant lottery ticket (currently Lucky Catch) are used to support outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation. For more information about MOHF, go to www.maine.gov/ifw/MOHF.html
Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative (MtA2C, www.mta2c.org ) is working toward a long-term goal of connecting 19,000 acres of conserved land in the region. MtA2C is a collaborative effort of ten partners working to preserve the natural landscape centered on Mount Agamenticus in York, stretching from the Tatnic Hills in South Berwick to the rocky coast in Kittery. This area encompasses the largest unfragmented coastal forest between the New Jersey Pine Barrens and Acadia National Park and represents the most biologically diverse region in Maine. It boasts over 60 miles of hiking trails, protects drinking water for three towns and feeds clean water to rivers and popular beaches. MtA2C envisions thriving communities connected by an expansive natural landscape that provides a haven for wildlife and enhances the health and well-being of our citizens, forever.
The 10 MtA2C partners include: Kittery, York and Great Works Regional Land Trusts; Wells Reserve at Laudholm; Maine Coast Heritage Trust; The Nature Conservancy; US Fish and Wildlife Service/Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge; Trust for Public Land; York Rivers Association and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
CONTACTS
Karen Young, MtA2C Coordinator
Email: kyoung@mta2c.org
Office/mobile: 207-752-7109