Loon Echo Land Trust was recently awarded a $225,000 grant through the Landowner Incentive Program to purchase the development rights on 73 acres on Pleasant Pond in Denmark which lies in the Upper Saco River watershed.

The Upper Saco River watershed in western Maine stretches from Lovell to Hiram and supports a rich and unique ecosystem made up of silver maple floodplain forest, vernal pools, acidic fens, outwash plains, and several lakes and ponds. These habitat types in turn support global and state designated rare species and unique natural community types. The Landowner Incentive Program, a state and federally funded program, is designed to protect valuable ecosystems such as this one in the Upper Saco River watershed.

The Norkin family has owned their land on Pleasant Pond for three generations and always wished to see their property conserved for the future. The grant program has offered the opportunity to bring the family’s vision to a reality, and soon Loon Echo will begin work on the conservation easement to protect upland and floodplain forest, Black Brook bog and Pleasant Pond.

The Nature Conservancy of Maine, a key partner in this project, is also actively protecting lands in the Upper Saco River watershed.