Conservation trust receives grants

ORLAND – Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust recently received grants from the Quimby Family Foundation and the Bingham Betterment Fund, as well as a big boost from a local boys’ camp, to help fund the acquisition and stewardship of the 4,300-acre Great Pond Mountain Wildlands property.

The Trust received $25,000 in August from the Quimby Family Foundation in support of the Wildlands project. Founded in 2004 by Burt’s Bees entrepreneur Roxanne Quimby, the foundation’s vision includes “establishing significant areas of wilderness in the state of Maine and protecting these lands for future generations’ enjoyment and well being.”

With the trust’s conservation of a large tract in Orland destined to remain wild and open to the public, and its involvement of stakeholders including hikers, bikers, equestrians and hunters, the foundation noted that the trust “stood out as being closely aligned with the mission of our foundation and our funding goals.”

Trust staff and volunteers were among special guests to receive the grant at an awards luncheon on Aug. 31 in Freeport.

“While the Quimby name has been associated in the past with an anti-hunting stance, the foundation representatives were very supportive of our efforts to involve hunters in managing the Wildlands as a wise way to preserve this wilderness area,” said campaign co-chairman Colin Baker.

The Betterment Fund granted $15,000 to the Wildlands campaign in August, as well. The fund, created by the will of William Bingham II, makes grants to programs in education and health, as well as “for the preservation and responsible use of Maine’s natural resources.”

The land trust also saw the completion of a mini-campaign by Flying Moose Lodge, the boys’ camp that has operated on Craig Pond in East Orland since 1921.

Camp owner Chris Price appealed to Flying Moose alumni across the country to help save their former stomping grounds by making gifts to the campaign. One anonymous alumnus challenged the group to meet his donation of $25,000. The challenge was met this summer, with more than $54,000 contributed from generations of campers.

The gifts will help to maintain roads and trails in the Wildlands, improve public access, and fund forest and wildlife habitat management. For information, call Marcia Sly at 667-3086.