Knox-Lincoln County Soil & Water Conservation District

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Forming a Road Association
Workshops Scheduled

Think a formal road association might be just what your private unpaved road needs to help get the funds and agreement to keep it properly maintained?  Looking for some guidance on what type of association might be best for you, and how to form one?  Attending a Forming a Road Association workshop might be just what you need. 

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, with assistance from local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, will be holding workshops on forming a road association (including tips from a lawyer!) at two locations this summer: 

Thursday, August 19, 6pm-8pm, Casco Fire Station (637 Meadow Road), Casco, downstairs 

Wednesday, August 25, 7pm-9pm, Evening Star Grange (31 Old Union Road), Washington, downstairs 

Workshop Agenda

Connection between lake water quality and unpaved private roads
Benefits of road associations
Types of road associations and pros and cons of different types
Steps to forming a formal road association
 How to assess road repair and maintenance needs
Discussion of common road association concerns by an attorney

 Attorney question & answer

         Sign-up for a chance to get free assistance with forming a road association 

An attorney with experience with road associations will be attending both workshops to help answer attendee questions. 

Several roads in lake watersheds across the state will receive free assistance with forming a road association from their local Soil and Water Conservation District.  By attending a workshop, you can sign-up for a chance to be one of the lucky ones. 

These workshops are free and everyone is welcome to attend at either location.  Please pass this information on to others who may be interested in attending.  Much of the information presented at the workshops will be based on the recently updated Guide to Forming Road Associations.  This Guide, and other resources pertaining to unpaved private roads, can be found by following the Camp Roads link from Maine DEP’s website, www.MaineDEP.com. 

To attend a workshop, please RSVP to: Kristin Feindel, Maine DEP - Kristin.B.Feindel@maine.gov or 207-287-5586 

The single largest pollutant to Maine lakes is soil and the greatest source is private unpaved roads.  Is your road one of them?  Learn what you can do to ensure your road isn’t harming your lake - visit www.MaineDEP.com.

Summer Youth Program

The Knox-Lincoln SWCD will be participating in the summer youth program with Youthlinks/RASA (Rockland After School Alliance) every Thursday bringing environmental literacy through age-appropriate activities. Programs open to students entering 6-9th grade in Fall or 2010 in the RSU District. For additional information please visit  http://www.youthlinksonline.org/RASA.html

MidCoast Regional Envirothon

Nokomis High School students from Newport, ME earned first place in the 2010 Mid Coast Regional Envirothon held at Unity College on May 21st. Envirothon is a statewide environmental competition where high school students test their knowledge of natural resources and solve hands-on problems at five stations; wildlife, forestry, soils, aquatics and a current issue. This years’ topic was “Protection of Groundwater through Urban Agricultural and Environmental Planning”. Each of the five individual areas – or stations – within the Envirothon is worth 100 points, for a total of 500 points. Combining in-class curriculum and hands-on field experiences, Envirothon offers students a wide range of supplemental environmental education, building critical thinking and decision making skills, knowledge and training in resource management, and opportunities in environmental studies. The MidCoast Regional Envirothon was hosted by Waldo, Kennebec, Knox-Lincoln and Somerset SWCD’s and sponsored by the Maine Association of Conservation Districts.  

  

What's Bugging You?

USDA/NRCS Technical Specialist Mark Darlington discussed insect biology, integrated pest management (IPM) and the Asian Longhorn Beetle (ALB) at the “What’s Bugging You?” workshop at Merryspring Nature Center in June. Participants were encouraged to bring a baggie of bugs to this interactive get-together where Mark helped identify and determine what course of action is best to maintain a healthy environment. This program was sponsored by the Knox-Lincoln SWCD and hosted by Education/Outreach Coordinator Rebecca Jacobs.

Attention All Anglers!

It’s time to swap out that old lead fishing tackle... Free !!

            Fishing Tackle Exchange Program  

The Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District in partnership with the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and Somerset County SWCD will swap lead fishing tackle and offer replacement non-toxic tackle for free!  The program began in June and will continue while supplies last. The fish on the left was attracted to the alternate lures and weighed in at 6lb 11oz.  Mike Ward of Waldoboro is definitely a true believer!

Angling and other outdoor sports deposit thousands of tons of lead into the environment each year.  Though Maine banned the sale of lead sinkers less than one half ounce in 2002, lead poisoning continues to be a problem.  All lead-based tackle is still legal for fishermen to use and lead-headed jigs are currently still legal to sell and use.  Therefore, lead is still being added to our lakes each year.  This toxic addition to a lake can be a death sentence for Maine’s loons, other water birds, and even the raptors, such as bald eagles, that may feed on these water birds.   

When sinkers and jigs are lost by anglers, these items settle on the bottom of the lake, where they do not dissolve.  Loons and other water birds forage the bottom of lakes for gravel.  This gravel or “grit,” enables their gizzards to break down fish bones.  Lead sinkers and jig heads are ingested when they are mistaken by the birds for the grit they require.   Birds may also ingest lead when feeding on fish attached to lead fishing gear.  As the lead sinker or jig is exposed to the pebbles in the gizzard and acids of the stomach, lead enters the bird's system and slowly poisons the bird. 

The good news is that tragedies like this can be prevented.  There are many non-toxic alternatives to lead fishing tackle, including those made of natural rocks, tin, steel, bismuth, ceramic and more.  Many retail stores carry these alternatives and still more would be carried if the public demand for these products increased.   

Contact District Office Manager Katherine Ward at 273-2005 ext 101 to set up a time to swap your old lead fishing tackle for a non-toxic based tackle.... free!!
 

2010 MOHF “Loony” Loot

The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (MOHF) has been helping to fund critical conservation and wildlife projects throughout the state since it was created by the legislature in 1996 in response to a grassroots effort from environmental and sportsman's groups..

Supported through proceeds from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Lottery Ticket, MOHF finds its funds lagging while grant proposals continue to pour in. Please help us spread the word about their latest ticket, “Loony Loot”. The more tickets that are sold, the more projects can be funded! Only the MOHF lottery ticket helps fund projects in our state to secure Maine's outdoor heritage for future generations. The latest MOHF ticket, “Loony Loot” is in stores now! For more information about the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Lottery Ticket, visit http://www.maine.gov/ifw/grants/outdoorheritagefund or contact Carol Gay, Secretariat for MOHF: mohf@gwi.net, 207-458-8421.

 
 

The Knox-Lincoln County Soil & Water Conservation District is a Non-Profit Organization.  All proceeds from our fundraising efforts are used to promote conservation and the wise use of our natural resources. The Knox-Lincoln County SWCD is an equal opportunity provider and employer.