Dear Citizens of Raymond,
During calendar year 2009 the Raymond Conservation Commission completed our Open Space Plan which was adopted at the June 2, 2009 Town Meeting. Four years in the making and with major support and guidance from Raymond’s contract Planner Hugh Coxe, we now have a plan that identifies our most valuable natural resources and the next steps for protecting them for future generations. We thank you for your support of this project.
Using funds from our Open Space Fund, we contributed to the addition of 19 acres to Morgan Meadow Wildlife Management Area by working with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. We coordinated a tour by IF&W of the timber/habitat improvement harvest in the central management area.
Last summer we began a regional planning project with seven Lake Region towns to be led by the Trust for Public Lands. The goal of the project is to identify the natural resources that are critical to the character and economy of the Lake Region in order to prioritize protection efforts for Loon Echo Land Trust.
Finally we supported the Recycling Committee’s efforts to bring Single Stream Recycling to Raymond which will increase the amount of plastic and glass that can be recycled and hopefully improve participation rates.
The Open Space Reserve Fund balance as of September 2009 was $43,800. With the $10,000 draw to support the addition to Morgan Meadow, the balance at year end 2009 should be approximately $33,800. Raymond established the Fund in 2002 with a $20,000 contribution; the RCC requested $20,000 each year through 2006/2007. The requested amounts were reduced by the budgeting process most years and a $25,000 draw was taken from the fund in 2005 to support the Files parcel purchase (a 70 acre parcel that included the old town landfill). The fund, which receives proceeds from penalties when land is removed from Tree Growth, was created to provide the Town match that is required for state and federally funded land protection projects. The RCC encourages the Town to protect its natural resources; these efforts will support the local economy and ensure that future generations can enjoy some of what surrounds us today.
RCC meetings are open to the public, come join us on the last Tuesday of each month (September through May) in the Broadcast Studio or at the Town Office at 7:00 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
John Rand, Chair
Bill Fraser
Mark Gendron
Elisa Gifford
Russ Hutchinson
Elizabeth Rand
Jim Ross
Kimberly Rowe
Ben Severn
Leah Stetson