AUGUSTA - A rugged, 5,980-acre tract of fields, woods, ponds and hills in northern Kennebec County is close to becoming a public preserve open for recreational activities and traditional uses.

The Land for Maine's Future Board, meeting last Thursday, moved the Kennebec Highlands project to the final stage of negotiating and appraising land in Vienna, Mount Vernon, Rome and New Sharon.

The group that sought the money, the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance, has been buying remote properties in the four towns since 1999.

"We're ecstatic This gives us the credibility to go forward with our next round of fund raising," said Denny Phillips, president of the 12-year-old land trust During a previous application for funds, filed last September, requested $1.8 million to complete land acquisitions in the towns. One condition of the agreement calls for the Belgrade based group to to raise $1 million as a 50 percent match if the entire amount requested is disbursed.

"We're hopeful we'll get the full amount," said Phillips. Mark DesMeules, a State Planning Office employee and a spokesman for the board, said the affirmative vote opens the way for negotiations to begin that eventually will lead to determining how much money the project will receive.

"The project is one of the best regional projects we had," he added. Five undeveloped ponds and Kennebec County's highest point of land - Vienna's 1300-foot McGaffey Mountain - are the dominant natural features within the Kennebec Highlands tract So far, the alliance has acquired more than half of the acreage in the project, which is about a half hour's drive from Augusta, Waterville and Farmington.

Kennebec Savings Bank and the Norcross Wildlife Floundation lent the Belgrade land trust $950,000 in December to purchase land for the proposal Most of that money was used last month to buy 2,400 acres, including a 2130-acre chunk that is considered the "heart" of the project.

Phillips said the alliance has a commitment of pledges that total about $75Q,000 Efforts will continue to reach the $1 million fundraising goal that the group set in 1999.

The Belgrade land trust also will raise money beyond that amount to meet annual stewardship costs and payments to the four towns to compensate for property taxes lost as the nonprofit group buys privately owned land.

Some trail signs will be installed and maps printed, Phillips said. The Land for Maine's Future Board got a boost last November when voters approved a $50 million referendum, to fund public land purchases. The board last week also approved other applications for final negotiating review.

For more information, see the Web site at www.kennebechighlands.org
To reach Dan McGillvray
Phone 621-5642
dmcgillvray@cintrahnaine com