JEFFERSON – Midcoast Conservancy has received a $1.35 million grant from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) to begin an eight-year project to restore and create approximately 10 acres of wetlands and buffer zones at two abandoned gravel pits in the Musquash Pond Preserve in Jefferson.

Midcoast Conservancy has partnered with SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) on this project to provide technical expertise in habitat and landscape restoration, environmental investigations, and environmental permitting and monitoring. The team will restore hydrologic connectivity by removing road fill in existing wetlands and replacing invasive plant populations with native plants to restore the natural beauty of the site while enhancing the existing wildlife corridor. Upon completion, the project is expected to create a combination of freshwater wetlands, a pond, and critical terrestrial pond habitat.

“Many years of intensive human use have degraded the property and significantly impacted the ecology of the site, making the project an extremely important step toward restoring and enhancing existing habitat at Musquash Pond Preserve,” the Conservancy said in a news release. “Of particular importance is the area mapped by the Maine Natural Areas Program as inland waterfowl and shorebird habitat, which is located in the wetlands surrounding the project site. The property has substantial frontage on three ponds, and the project will help maintain water quality for wild brook trout in a downstream habitat as well as a breeding ground for great blue herons.”

Tim Trumbauer, co-executive director of the Midcoast Conservancy, said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to restore this ecologically important landscape at Musquash Pond Preserve from its current state as an abandoned gravel pit. Once completed, the area will provide a sanctuary for wildlife and waterfowl and expand the already designated adjacent habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds that thrive in wetlands and the restored upland areas.”

The active portion of the project is expected to take three years. The first step is a pond survey and installation of groundwater monitoring wells, which SWCA completed in May. The next steps include additional biodiversity and wetland surveys, the data from which SWCA will use to develop restoration engineering plans and a final work plan to be submitted to the MNRCP this year. SWCA will then submit permit applications, help organize earthworks, and work with Midcoast Conservancy to conduct restoration plantings. After the three-year process, Midcoast Conservancy will implement a five-year monitoring program under the MNRCP grant agreement.

“We are honored to partner with Midcoast Conservancy to reclaim a portion of Maine’s treasured Musquash Pond Preserve,” Mike Lychwala, SWCA’s vice president for the Midwest and Northeast, said in the press release. “The project will enhance wildlife habitats, including important breeding, migration and wintering areas for waterfowl and waterfowl, but also restore wetlands that are critical for flood protection. Sharing our ecological restoration expertise to revitalize these natural ecosystems is incredibly rewarding for our team.”

Under the grant agreement, Midcoast Conservancy will manage the preserve for wildlife habitat, biodiversity and potentially environmentally sustainable recreation, with staff and trained volunteers providing ongoing annual monitoring.

About Midcoast Conservancy

Midcoast Conservancy is an innovative conservation organization with nearly 16,000 acres of preserves, 3 protected watersheds, and 2,000 dedicated members whose mission is to protect and restore the vital lands and waters of mid-coast Maine at scale that makes sense. Visit www.midcoastconservancy.org to become a member, explore public preserves and programs, or learn more about conservation work.

About SWCA

Founded with a commitment to sound science and creative solutions, SWCA Environmental Consultants is a leading provider of environmental and management consulting services. With a mission to be the best place to work and industry leader in sustainability, we combine scientific expertise and deep knowledge of the industries we serve to address global environmental challenges.

Our diverse team of experts collaborate across disciplines to deliver comprehensive solutions in environmental planning and permitting, cultural resource management, biological and ecological services, water resource management, air quality planning and sustainability consulting. Since 1981, SWCA has been helping clients navigate the process of achieving environmental compliance and becoming more sustainable. As a 100% employee-owned company, all 1,600+ employees in 41 offices are committed to our collective success and ensure excellence in each of our projects. For more information, visit www.swca.com. Also follow us on LinkedIn.

About MNRCP

The Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) was created to offset unavoidable impacts to protected water resources in the state of Maine by funding the restoration, enhancement, conservation, and creation of similar resources. The program manages the allocation of funds collected through the state’s In-Lieu Fee Compensation Program, a voluntary program that allows entities that impact natural resources, primarily wetlands, to make a direct payment to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) as an alternative to the traditional offset process. Fees collected by MDEP are deposited into separate funds based on the biophysical regions where the impacts occurred. Funds are then awarded through an annual competitive grant process to projects that provide compensation for development impacts. Funds and the MNRCP grant process are administered by The Nature Conservancy in Maine (TNC) in coordination with MDEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). For more information, visit https://www.mnrcp.org/.