N. Conserved Lands

Drivers & Stressors Condition of the bay human connections

N. Conserved Lands

Fourteen Percent of Land in Casco Bay's Royal River Conservation Trust
Watershed Has Been Permanently Conserved

In Coastal Communities, Conservation Land Approaches Ten Percent

why it matters status & trends

Conservation land is land that is permanently protected In the Casco Bay watershed, 81,621 acres of land had

from development and generally remains in a natural been permanently protected as of December 2019. This

state for fish, wildlife, and their habitat, or provides protec- amounts to 14.2 percent of the total watershed land area

tion for other land values Bethel and represents an additional 6,480 acres since 2014. The
such as agriculture and
forestry. Typically it allows Mason impressive increase reflects the tireless work of land trusts
for low-impact recreation Twp
but does not include land and other conservation partners.
that is predominantly Greenwood
Increase in Permanent ConservationPermanent Land Protection
Acres per year Percent of watershed

Albany Twp 5,000 Land in Casco Bay Watershed 20%
Stoneham 4,500

recreational such as AcreACsREpS PeErR YYEeARar4,40,00000 1155%%
1100%%
ball fields or playgrounds. Norway Unknown3,500 55%%
00%%
Keeping track of conserva- Lovell Waterford 1 19977123,30,00000

tion lands over time helps 19742,500
1976
illustrate the level of success 19782,20,00000

conservation partners have Sweden Harrison 191898001,500
had in protecting land. The
19821,10,00000
1984
1986500
1988
00
19199900
actual rate of protection
may reflect the availability of 1992
funding sources and the pace 1994
of residential and commercial 1996
1998

20200000

2002
2004
2006
2008

20210100

2012
2014
2016

20210198

PercentPEaRCgEeNToOfF WWATaEtRSerHEsDhed
Year unknown:
Bridgton Otisfield 36,065 acres Auburn Source: State of Maine Department of
Conservation, Agriculture and Forestry
Poland and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf
of Maine Coastal Program

development. Denmark Casco
Raymond
Throughout Casco Bay’s Naples New Gloucester Durham
watershed, and particularly in proximity Sebago
to Portland, land is being developed Bath
in response to demand for residential Gray Pownal Freeport Brunswick West
housing and commercial or industrial North Yarmouth Bath
property, fueled by changing patterns
Baldwin Frye
Island

in where people work and live. Setting Windham Cumberland Yarmouth
aside a network of natural areas in perpetuity

is important to protect clean water, conserve Standish Falmouth
ecological communities, enhance climate
resilience, sustain working forests and farms, Gorham Westbrook Chebeague Harpswell
and provide current and future generations with Portland Island
access to open space and outdoor recreation. Phippsburg
South Long
Permanent conservation land Buxton Portland Island Portland

Other land in Casco Bay watershed Scarborough Cape
33 casco BAY estuary partnership Saco Elizabeth

human connections N. Conserved Lands

Land Area Permanently

Conserved in Coastal

Communities

< 5% Pownal Freeport &'()' %*+$% Brunswick
5 - 10% !"#$%
9.4% 10.9% Jerry Monkman, Ecophotography.com8.3 %
1,369 acres 2,429 acres 2,468 acres

10 - 15% North Yarmouth West Bath
15 - 20%
20 - 31% 6.0% 5.6%
808 acres 421 acres

Cumberland Yarmouth

7.2% 2.4%
1,052 acres 330 acres

Falmouth Maquoit and Middle Bay
13.5% Conservation Focus Area
2,530 acres Chebeague
The sheltered coves and peninsulas
Westbrook Island Harpswell between the Royal River estuary and
Harpswell Neck provide an “extraordinary
2.2% 9.9% 15.3% array of ecological values," according to
236 acres 225 acres the State of Maine Beginning with Habitat
program. This area of Casco Bay includes
2,368 acres Phippsburg salt marshes, mudflats, eelgrass beds, and
over a dozen islands.
Portland Long 25.2%
Island Portland 4,615 acres The interconnected landscape supports
4.6% numerous “rare animals as well as fish,
622 acres 30.8% invertebrates, waterfowl, wading birds,
and other wildlife, including commercially
280 acres "$$ !(#%$$ valuable species,” providing ecological
PAerercaePnetromAfcaMrneuCesnnoPitncleyisprePmarrlvaoLentadeencndttelyd and economic benefits to the Bay and its
South Portland Cape 90,$ 4,000!(#$$$ communities.
Elizabeth
0.3% +$ !'#%$$ The State's designation of this area as a
28 acres 8.2% 70*$ < 5% Conservation Focus Area has helped to
775 acres Number 5of- 10% 3,000!'#$$$ concentrate collaborative efforts to protect
Source: U.S. Fish and New Site10s - 15% this special place and build regional aware-
Wildlife Service, Gulf of )$ Labels show percent !&#%$$ ness of its importance.
Maine Coastal Program and acres prote2ct,e0d00!&#$$$
50%$ Maquoit and Middle Bay Conservation
Focus Area. (Map: Beginning with Habitat)
($ 15 - 20% !"#%$$

30'$ 20 - 31% 1,000!"#$$$
&$$"-&$$% &$$)-&$"$ &$""-&$"%
&$")-&$&$
2001–2005 2006–2010 ,$2-0#%11–2015
2016–2020

Within coastal communities, which were the focus of previous CBEP State
of the Bay summaries for conserved lands, a total of 20,556 acres were
protected through the end of 2019, an increase of 1,596 acres from the 2015
State of the Bay report. In terms of area conserved, the pace of land protection
in coastal communities has steadily declined in recent years, while substantial
new conservation projects have occurred in the upper watershed.

threats / challenges

▶ The forces that are driving development are fundamentally regional
in nature. And yet, the primary entities that work to protect land are
operating at smaller scales—at either a local or multi-town level. As a
result, regional development, land use, and transportation planning can
be disconnected from land protection needs.

▶ The Casco Bay region lacks a set of shared, regional priorities for land
protection, as well as regional conservation funding mechanisms to help
address the higher cost of conservation work in this part of the state.

▶ There are challenges with tracking and mapping conservation land at a
regional scale. For example, municipally owned properties may not be
defined as protected, despite long-term management practices.

▶ The pace of land conservation is limited by costs, particularly during
periods with strong real estate markets. Long-term stewardship
obligations can also constrain the pace of conservation.

STATE OF casco BAY 34