This summer BHHT closed on an exciting new conservation project at Edgehill in Sargentville. This parcel is BHHT's only fee property along Eggemoggin Reach. It was purchased from the Edgehill family, longtime owners and stewards of this place, who wanted to conserve it to ensure public shore access for generations to come. This property is a little more than 17-acres and is accessible off Ferry Landing Road. We are very grateful for the support of many community members and foundations who helped make this conservation project possible: Roger N Heald Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, Blaise deSibour & Leslie Clapp, Ron & Mary Pressman, Anahata Foundation, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Land for Maine's Future, and the North American Wetland Conservation Act.

Fundraising for an Accessible Walking Path & Viewing Deck are in the works, with a larger goal of a longer accessible trail throughout the property. Visitors to Edge Hill will enjoy stunning views of the Eggemoggin Reach and iconic Deer Isle Bridge and it is an ideal place to launch a kayak, enjoy a picnic, or just sit and watch the boats in the Reach.

BHHT works hard to conserve land, but an equally important part of our mission is to develop and model sustainable resource use - to remove renewable natural resources from the landscape without harming the long-term ecological value of the land. We understand that locking up land without accounting for the resources we inevitably use is only pushing resource extraction off onto different land bases.

A first step in this process for us has been to utilize local wood to create materials for our trail work and other construction. BHHT was graciously donated a Woodmizer Sawmill a few years ago, and Andrew, this summer's interns and I have been working to saw up local cedar to make bog bridging and structural lumber for trail projects. We were able to salvage much of the cedar from Meadowbrook Forest, where it was left in piles after an old harvest, and to purchase more cedar that was produced as a by-product of local lot clearing. Our ultimate goal is to use wood harvested from our sustainably managed forests for most of the construction on our properties, so that we can be fully accountable for our resource use.

We have a talented group here at the trust. Many are knowledgeable about a myriad of things that inspire them within and outside of work. What is great about smart people is that they know when to ask for help if a task or job is beyond their respective level of expertise. We all like to challenge ourselves and are willing to take on projects that will help expand our own level of growth within a specific field, topic, or task. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to learn much from some very talented trail builders, both with formal training and some from the “school of hard knocks”. Many trail projects have used in-house personnel to help keep costs within check, and to set our own timeline for repair and maintenance, or starting or finishing a new trail. Our annual budgeting process prioritizes projects and timelines. As we strive for greater diversity and inclusion in our trail systems, we need a bit more muscle for some of these projects.

Over the past three years we have embarked in upgrading our trails to be more accessible for those with decreased mobility issues, whether it is having to use a cane, a walker, or wheelchair for people that need that stability to families with toddlers that wish to enjoy the outdoors using strollers and wagons or to have little legs and feet not get tripped up by a rooted or muddy trail. This kind of inclusivity typically requires a root-free, low sloped, and hardened path. Something that takes careful planning and often the use of heavy machinery to be efficient in the construction process. It does not come cheap either. Usually, the breakdown for such an all-access trail is 10-15% of the overall cost in planning and siting, 35-45% in materials, and the remaining 40-55% in contract services. We regularly apply for grant funding to help pay for such projects, but some funding comes from individual donors, and support from our project stewardship funds. Our past projects have been within the $30,000 - $45,000 range. I’ll leave you to calculate the respective cost breakdowns, but you can see it is a chunk of change. Not all our trails will receive the all-access upgrades, but for new projects we will certainly look carefully to see if the site, terrain, and funding opportunities all coalesce. With help from donors, foundation grants, and our own stewardship project funds the future for more diverse and inclusive trails is on the horizon. Look for the newest all-access trail at our Cooper Farm/Caterpillar Hill property to open later this fall.