The Kennebec Land Trust

“Lake and denison lake and denison partner partner board members”

“Klt is a membership organization.”

“Members present at the annual meeting elect members of the board. The board of directors elects officers at the annual meeting or when a vacancy occurs.”

“Members elect members to the board, and vote on any changes to the by-laws at the annual meeting.”

“Form 990 is presented by the treasurer to the finance committee for review prior to submission. The full board receives a copy of the form 990 within 30 days of its submission. At donor request, donor names and addresses have been redacted from the copy of the form 990 made available to the full board. Consistent with the requirements of sec. 6104(d) of the irc and regulations thereunder, copies of the form 990 are available upon request and a copy is posted on the website.”

“Annually, board and staff members are required to sign a statement indicating that they are abiding by the conflict of interest policy. When matters arise in the board meetings for which a board or staff member has a conflict, that person/s will leave the room during discussion and, if a board member, will recuse themselves from the vote.”

“Annually, the executive committee meets to review compensation and benefits for executive director. Comparable data is reviewed from other land trust sources and proposed compensation and benefits are presented to the full board within the budget. The compensation and benefits are adopted at the june meeting as part of the budget adoption process.”

“Using national standards salaries are reviewed and proposed compensation and benefits for the executive director and all staff are presented to the full board within the annual budget. The compensation and benefits are adopted at the june meeting as part of the budget adoption process.”

“All governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Line 7a, b and c - public securities sold”

“The kennebec land trust (klt)works cooperatively with landowners and communities to conserve the forests, shorelands, fields, and wildlife that define central maine. Klt protects land permanently, offers opportunities for people to learn about and enjoy the natural world, and works with partners to support sustainable forestry and farming. Kennebec land trust has provided over thirty-two years of conservation work in the kennebec river and lakes region. Thanks to the generous contributions and support of more than 1,100 household members and business partners, dedicated volunteers, board members, and staff, we have experienced three decades of significant growth and have developed a reputation as a conservation leader in our 412,000 acre service region. We have received state-wide and regional recognition and awards for our dedication to conserve land for its many community benefits including public use and recreation. Klt has always been, and always will be, committed to taking care of the lands we conserve. Klt completed a rigorous process to achieve national accreditation from the land trust alliance accreditation commission in 2018 and also received a source award from the portland press herald to honor local wood works, a klt inspired partnership focused on keeping forests as forests and promoting sustainable natural-resource based economies. Permanent land conservation and promoting land stewardship continues to be the central focus of klt's work. Since 1988, we have partnered with landowners and conservation partners in twenty-one communities to protect more than 6,952 acres through land donations, fee purchases, and conservation easements, and have constructed 55 miles of trails on klt lands. We have developed and implemented management plans for each property that we own and have written baseline documents for every conservation easement. All of our conservation properties are monitored annually. Our land conservation program is informed by a strategic conservation plan. This science-based assessment, which is updated every seven years, guides the trust's conservation planning work and provides valuable planning data to the twenty-one communities in our service area. Over one hundred dedicated volunteers, including sixty-nine land stewards, committed over 2,604 hours of time this year to support klt's stewardship, education, administration, and governance. Klt has hosted thirty-five volunteer interns from twenty-four colleges and universities since 2005, helping to develop the next generation of conservation leaders. Klt is a founding partner, along with the maine forest service (mfs), of the kennebec woodland partnership (kwp), a regional conservation initiative of governmental and non-governmental organizations that promotes private and public woodland conservation and stewardship. Since 2013, klt and six other statewide entities (mfs, the nature conservancy, cei, maine coast heritage trust, growsmart maine, and the northern forest center)have worked together as the local wood works (lww)partnership. The lww partnership is committed to promoting greater use of locally sourced wood and lumber as a light-weight and strong construction alternative to energy-intensive concrete and steel, and a means to sustain a diverse and ecologically-rich forested landscape. Two lww papers have been widely distributed: -building maine's local wood economy, together with conservation. -and, a long term approach to forest management: a position paper for local wood works by the klt and the nature conservancy, maine. With a focus on initiatives with builders and architects, lww continued to promote the following programs and initiatives developed in 2019-20: -the lww partnership with wood producers, architects, engineers, and builders. -a master spec list for architects and builders. -a web-based directory of the area's wood producers.”

“Klt received an estimated 35,362 of donated services and facilities which are reported in our reviewed financial statements. Donated services and facilities are as follows: stewardship baseline work (4,512); legal services for land acquisitions (20,000);general accounting and tax/bookkeeping services (7,750); and other (3,100).”

“One hundred dedicated volunteers, including interns and 69 land stewards, committed 2,604 hours of time this fiscal year to support klt's stewardship, education, administration, and governance. Donated services and facilities are not included here, but are recorded on the organization's reviewed financial statements. Donated services requiring specialized skills for printing, professional design work, professional consulting, legal services and accounting services had an estimated value of 32,262. The organization benefits from personal services provided by a substantial number of people for which a donated value cannot be calculated.”

“Education - public programs: after a year with limited public programs due to covid, klt was able to host public programs with many participants. This included a virtual lyceum lecture program on maine medicinal plants that served as an introduction for the 2022 in-person lyceum program; snowshoe bushwhacks; open houses and tours of the baldwin hill conservation cemetery; paddles; and property walks. Publications include: klt news: biannual newsletters featuring new conservation properties and an annual calendar of events; 2020 intern research projects: (1)community conservation: an exploration,(2)a single-species approach to field management and associated species: an american kestrel case study, (3) hiking through covid, a podcast, and (4) climate change impacts on maine's forestry, fishing, and farming economies; take a hike: the kennebec land trust hiking guide, second edition published in december 2020 with thirty-two hikes; save howard hill-scenic backdrop to maine's state house, published in 2014 - text, maps, historic and contemporary photographs focused augusta's howard hill, the 164 acre scenic backdrop to maine's state house; your woodland: a resource guide for kennebec county landowners, published in february 2012; between person and place: conservation histories from the kennebec land trust, published in 2010, essays and photographs highlighting the stories behind klt's conservation lands;”

“Stewardship - klt staff and board members oversee the management of klt's fee lands, monitor conservation easements and work with 69 volunteer stewards. Klt's stewards collectively volunteered over 1245 hours for trail maintenance, monitoring, and public access projects. Conservation parcels that are especially large in acreage, or have unique or complex management needs, have more than one volunteer steward. Klt completed an update of the trust's strategic conservation plan. The plan incorporates thirteen ecological and community priority conservation values, including proximity to trail access and resiliency to climate change, two additions to the previous strategic conservation plan. Klt's strategic conservation plan was developed with gis base natural resource information, and with information from community open space and comprehensive plans. Our plan helps to identify high priority conservation areas for our 412,000-acre service area.”

“Land protection - since 1988, klt has worked cooperatively with landowners and communities to conserve our region's natural assets. Klt has conserved 6,952 acres in a service area that covers 412,000 acres and 21 towns primarily in kennebec county, but also androscoggin and franklin counties. Klt holds conservation easements on, accepts gifts of, and purchases significant lands to further the mission of the organization. Klt's community conservation lands protect wildlife habitat, water quality, working forestland and farmland, and scenic beauty, and provide many opportunities for year round outdoor recreation for maine residents and visitors. In 2021, klt permanently protected 332 additional acres of conservation land in kennebec county: 55-acre weston woods preserve protects over 1,300 feet of undeveloped shoreline on little cobbossee lake, forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent wetlands, 1,500 feet of perennial streams, and land designated as inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat. 277-acre jacobs-stanley conservation easement protects over 3,600 feet of undeveloped shoreline on annabessacook lake, beautiful mixed woodlands, open fields, and wetlands with valuable inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat as well as well-known scenic vistas with sweeping views of mt. Pisgah and the western mountains. After four years of planning and research, klt's 10-acre baldwin hill conservation cemetery was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the state of maine in february,2020. The corporation, managed by a five member board of directors, is a 501(c)(13). The cemetery is situated in a stand of tall white pines, with an open understory, surrounded by rock walls. A .25 mile universally accessible trail weaves through the pine stand and offers a chance for reflection and a lovely view. The fall foliage is stunning in late september and october. Visitors who linger at the benches overlooking the rolling hills will likely observe many species of birds and butterflies in an area that will be managed for pollinators and early successional habitat. The burial ground provides ecologically sound burials for people of all faiths. On the operations end, klt will manage the burial grounds and coordinate plot sales. We are partnering with funeral homes that have established expertise with grief support, memorial services, and transportation of the deceased and burials. The burial ground has received certification as a conservation burial ground according to the standards and best practices defined by the green burial council. The cemetery began operations and the sale of interment rights in june 2021. Since the opening, over 70 people have purchased interment rights. Recent projects include removal of brush and stumps for future pollinator habitat field and expansion of the parking lot. In october, 2020 klt sold the bog pond parcel to maine department of inland fisheries and wildlife (mdifw) for a bargain sale price of 25,000. This parcel is adjacent to jamies pond wildlife management area (jpmma). Mdifw used the bargain part of the sale to apply for grants to purchase an addtional 120 acres to add to jpwma.”