Dear Citizens of Raymond,

The Raymond Conservation Commission continued to focus on Watershed Stewardship, Milfoil Management and Land Conservation in 2004. We worked closely with Raymond Waterways Protective Association, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, the Town of Casco, Portland Water District, Maine DEP and other regional groups to advance our mission. We hope to increase awareness about energy conservation and renewable energy in the coming years. We are grateful to Don Willard, Elizabeth Cummings, Elisa Trepanier, Kevin Woodbrey and other Town staff for helping us do our conservation work.

Watershed Stewardship

In 2004, the RCC helped secure funding to support RWPA’s watershed manager Noralee Raymond. Noralee assisted the Panther Pond Association with completing their Watershed Survey, she secured federal grant monies to fix erosion sites, she met with property owners to design remedies for problem residential sites, and worked with Public Works and Maine DOT to address problem road sites. We are grateful to Noralee for her dedication to Raymond’s lakes.

Milfoil/Invasive Aquatic Plant Management

The 2004 Milfoil Program continued to expand from prior years, as it has done since inception in 2002. Led by Noralee Raymond, the 2004 efforts included ramp inspection, plant identification training, education, shoreline surveys and ongoing support for the management of identified plant colonies. Lake Protection Rangers Debbie Cutten and Mark Dixon, along with help from Noralee, completed the following in 2004: 

  • Inspected more than 1,700 boats ! (a four fold increase over 2003);
  • prevented Curly Leaf Pond Weed (invasive plant) from entering Sebago Lake at Raymond Beach on an out of state boat trailer;
  • implemented a Phase 1 Milfoil Remediation at Jordan Bay marina (with volunteer help);
  • applied for and received $6,400 of DEP funding for milfoil management;

Aside from known colonies (Jordan Bay Marina, Dingley Brook, Bayview and Panther Run), shoreline surveys have not found milfoil or other invasive plants in Panther Pond, the Tenny River, Crescent Lake, Raymond Pond or Thomas Pond. The best management practice for known colonies at this time is a combination of hand pulling (with or without divers), placing plastic sheeting on the bottom, and setting buoys to keep boats clear of infested areas. Education and inspection remain the best tools for preventing milfoil from impacting our lakes.

In March 2004, the RCC held an informational meeting about the Raymond Pond boat launch project and provided a letter to the Land for Maine Futures Board with comments and recommendations for best managing a public access on Raymond Pond.

For July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006, we have requested $12,000 for RWPA for water shed and milfoil management.

Land Conservation

With a directive from the newly approved Comprehensive Plan, we have begun the process of preparing an Open Space Plan. The goal of the plan will be to prioritize and direct the conservation of lands that are special to Raymond Residents for recreation, as working forests or farms, and for watershed and habitat protection. We worked with Elisa Trepanier to create a draft Open Space Map for the town. A study compiled for the December 2004 Road Runner concluded that residential development may be costing the Town about $90,000 each year, and that land protection could save the town tax dollars by avoiding the cost of providing services to developed property.

Great progress has been made in establishing the Open Space Reserve Fund, which will be essential for assisting with the conservation of key undeveloped tracts. We anticipate that the Open Space Plan will present funding options for specific parcels as they become available. To build the Fund to an effective level, we are requesting that $20,000 be contributed by the Town in 2005, the same amount we have requested since establishing the fund with $20,000 in 2002. The contribution was reduced to $5,000 at the 2003 Town Meeting, and was $15,000 in 2004 (current fund balance before 2005 meeting is $40,000). The RCC encourages the Town to be committed to its heritage and character; continued, regular investment in the Open Space Fund is crucial to the success of this program.

We need active and energetic members to push our efforts forward, and to help conservation in Raymond keep pace with our rapid, resource intensive growth. For more information on RCC projects, contact a member or join us at our meetings. We meet on the last Wednesday of each month, September through May, in the Portable Classroom at 7:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

 

John Rand, Co-Chair

Elizabeth Algeo, Co-Chair

Louise Van Winkle, Co-Secretary

Kimberly Rowe, Co-Secretary

Ben Severn

Peter Marcinuk

Priscilla Rand

Russ Hutchinson

Mike Cline

Greg Curtis

Dave Adams