Wells voters will have an opportunity next week to conserve more than 400 acres. It’s a substantial investment, but through good planning the town’s Land Bank has the necessary funds.

A majority of the Selectmen and the entire budget committee are recommending the purchases, amounting to up to $450,000. It’s a relatively easy recommendation to make, since the purchase price will not raise the tax rate.

Advocates have emphasized other points as well. The two large parcels are part of a disappearing landscape in southern Maine ”“ large inland tracts that shelter indigenous plant and animal species and provide plenty of open space for hiking, hunting and other forms of recreation.

It may be self-evident, but another important point should be noted about the parcels recommended for purchase by the Conservation Commission: They are for sale. One of the unfortunate facts of land conservation is that an opportunity missed may be gone forever.

Wells voters and officials have saved and planned for years for just such opportunities. The town’s Land Bank has accumulated  $650,000, a remarkable achievement, and the money is there to be used.

The Granite State Gas property and the Tilton property are not adjacent, but they are important pieces in the effort to assemble a contiguous conservation district. The Granite State land lies near the corner of Quarry and Perry Oliver roads, and the Tilton property, which includes frontage on the Merriland River, is near the corner of Route 109 and Bragdon Road.

This strikes us as a good time to buy real estate, if you’ve got the money. We hope Wells voters share this point of view and approve Article 17 at the polls June 8.

— Comments? Questions? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven by calling 282-1535, Ext. 327, or via e-mail at nickc@journaltribune.com.