Summary
- MT A to the Sea Conservation Initiative has conserved 1304 acres since 2002.
- Watershed-based planning has been implemented in four KEYS region watersheds and several regional watershed and rivers associations have been established.
- In the last decade, nearly a dozen environmental volunteer monitoring programs have been established and continue to operate in the KEYS region.
- Habitat restoration efforts have been initiated as several KEYS region sites.
Details
- Regional land conservation: MT A to the Sea Conservation Initiative, established by a coalition of local, state, federal, NGO organizations has conserved 1304 acres since 2002. This adds to the 5,529 acres previously protected and the 4,445 acres of water district lands for a total of 11,278 acres conserved in the Mount Agamenticus region since protection efforts were first initiated in 1897.
- Watershed-based planning has been implemented in several KEYS watersheds:
- Spruce Creek – completed watershed conservation strategy and watershed survey
- York River – completed watershed conservation strategy, watershed survey, and watershed management plan.
- Cape Neddick River – completed watershed conservation strategy.
- Great Works River– completed watershed surveys; watershed management plan to be completed summer, 2006.
- Since 1995, community-based watershed and rivers associations have been established throughout the KEYS region including The York Rivers Association. The Great Works River Watershed Coalition and The Spruce Creek Association.
- In the last decade, KEYS environmental monitoring efforts have multiplied. On-going environmental monitoring programs supported by volunteers throughout the region include monitoring streams, beaches, and rare habitats; birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects; native and invasive plants, and phytoplankton; and weather.
- Habitat restoration efforts are underway in the KEYS region including establishment of a salt marsh habitat restoration projects at Wheeler Marsh, York and Spruce Creek, Kittery and removal of an invasive species from a rare plant site in Kittery.
