Loon Echo Land Trust conserves 192 acres of forest in Lakes Region

Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) has announced the permanent conservation of 192 acres of undeveloped forestland in Bridgton. The property was donated to LELT by the Lebovitz family and will be called the Clara and Samuel Lebovitz Forest Preserve.

About 192 acres of undeveloped forest land will be 
conserved by Loon Echo Land Trust and will be called
the Clara and Samuel Lebovitz Forest Preserve.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

Under LELT’s ownership, permanent public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other recreational activities is now secured. The conservation of the land protects a half-mile of shoreline on the northern end of Otter Pond, a mile of tributary streams, and over 70 acres of wetlands. The forested property also hosts significant habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, the endangered Blanding’s turtle, and several rare species of damselflies.

“We are pleased to be able to continue our decades-long partnership with LELT by creating the Clara & Samuel Lebovitz Forest Preserve,” said Peter Lebovitz, grandson of Clara and Samuel Lebovitz. “We know the land will be stewarded in the manner Clara & Sam always wanted it to be and preserved for future generations to enjoy.”

Located in an area of increasing development pressure, Lebovitz Forest is an important addition to the region’s network of conserved lands.

“We’re grateful to the Lebovitz Family for working with LELT to keep their property forested and open to the public forever,” said LELT Board President Sheila Bourque. “Our work to protect Lake Region forests, ponds, and public access to the outdoors depends on the generosity of landowners like the Lebovitz family.”

The property was identified as a high priority for protection by Sebago Clean Waters, a collaborative of 11 partners including LELT working to conserve forestland in the Sebago Lake watershed for water quality protection and other benefits. The 192-acre property is located entirely within the Sebago Lake watershed and plays an important role in safeguarding the water quality of Sebago Lake, which is the source of drinking water for over 200,000 Mainers and many Cumberland County businesses on a daily basis.

Sebago Lake is so clean, thanks in large part to its forested watershed, that it is one of only 50 surface water supplies (out of over 13,000) in the country that is not required to be filtered.

LELT is developing a forest and recreation management plan for the property that will outline forest management goals to promote carbon sequestration and biodiversity, maintain water quality protections, and consider future recreation opportunities on the property.

There are no formal trails on the property, but LELT welcomes walkers, snowshoers, anglers, and hunters to enjoy the forest with access from Kansas Road. A club-maintained snowmobile trail also provides access along the property’s western boundary. LELT will pay property taxes for the land at the Open Space rate, which will result in a tax revenue increase over the current Tree Growth rate for the Town of Bridgton.

The property is the third conserved by the Bridgton-based nonprofit in the past eight months. It comes on the heels of the recently conserved Rolfe Hill Forest (400 acres) in Casco and Sebago Cove Forest (362 acres) in Naples.

The recently conserved land, along with all of the land LELT conserves, is within the traditional and unceded territory of the Abenaki, a member tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Abenaki First Nations of Odanak and Wôlinak maintain reservations along the St. Francis and St. Lawrence Rivers in the Canadian province of Quebec, where the tribe sought refuge following colonial warfare in the Saco, Presumpscot, and Androscoggin River watersheds during the 17th and 18th centuries.

More information on the Lebovitz Forest can be found by visiting lelt.org/lebovitz-forest.

Loon Echo Land Trust, founded in 1987, is a community supported nonprofit organization that protects land, ensures public access to the outdoors, and builds and maintains recreational trails in Raymond, Casco, Naples, Harrison, Sebago, Bridgton, and Denmark. The organization currently conserves over 9,100 acres of land and manages a 35 mile long trail network across the Lake Region. LELT protects local landmarks like Pleasant Mountain, Bald Pate Mountain, Raymond Community Forest and Hacker’s Hill. For more information about LELT properties, upcoming events, or how to get involved, visit LELT.org or their Facebook page.

Sebago Clean Waters is a collaborative of ten local, regional, and national conservation organizations and the Portland Water District working to protect water quality, community well-being, a vibrant economy, and fish and wildlife habitat in the Sebago region through voluntary forest conservation and stewardship. sebagocleanwaters.org <