JEFFERSON — Midcoast Conservancy has been awarded a $1.35M grant from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) to embark on an eight-year project to restore and create approximately 10 acres of wetlands and upland buffer in two abandoned gravel pits within the Musquash Pond Preserve in Jefferson.

Midcoast Conservancy has partnered on this project with SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to provide technical expertise in habitat restoration, landscape restoration, environmental surveys, and environmental permitting and monitoring. The team will reinstate hydrologic connectivity by removing road fill within existing wetlands and replacing invasive plant populations with native plants to help restore the natural beauty of the property while enhancing the existing wildlife corridor. When complete, the project aims to create a combination of freshwater wetlands, a vernal pool, and critical vernal pool terrestrial habitat. 

“Many years of intensive human use have degraded the property and significantly impacted the ecology of the site, making the project a vitally important step to restoring and enhancing existing habitat within Musquash Pond Preserve,” said the Conservancy, in a news release. “Of particular importance is the area mapped as Inland Waterfowl and Wading Bird Habitat by the Maine Natural Areas Program that is found in the wetlands surrounding the project site. The property has significant frontage on three ponds, and the project will help maintain water quality for wild brook trout in a downstream habitat, as well as a great blue heron rookery.”

Midcoast Conservancy Co-Executive Director Tim Trumbauer said, "We are thankful for the opportunity to restore this ecologically important landscape within the Musquash Pond Preserve from its existing state as an abandoned gravel pit. When complete, the area will provide a sanctuary for wildlife and waterfowl, extending the already designated adjacent habitat for waterfowl and wading birds which thrive in wetland areas and the restored upland areas.”

The active portion of the project is anticipated to take three years, with the first step being a vernal pool survey and installation of groundwater monitoring wells that was completed by SWCA in May. Next steps include additional biodiversity and wetland surveys, whose data SWCA will utilize to develop restoration engineering plans and a finalized workplan to be submitted to MNRCP this year. Afterwards, SWCA will submit permit applications, help organize earthwork operations, and team with Midcoast Conservancy to complete restoration plantings. Following the three-year process, Midcoast Conservancy will complete a five-year monitoring program in accordance with the MNRCP grant agreement. 

“We’re honored to partner with Midcoast Conservancy in reclaiming a section of the cherished Musquash Pond Preserve in Maine,” said SWCA Vice President of the Midwest and Northeast Mike Lychwala, in the release. “The project will enhance wildlife habitats, including essential breeding, migration, and wintering grounds for waterbirds and waterfowl, but also restore wetlands that provide critical flood control. Sharing our ecological restoration expertise to revitalize these natural ecosystems is incredibly rewarding for our team.”

As part of the grant agreement, Midcoast Conservancy will manage the Preserve for wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and potentially low-impact recreation, with staff and trained volunteers conducting annual monitoring in perpetuity.

About Midcoast Conservancy

With nearly 16,000 acres in conservation, 3 watersheds protected, and 2,000 engaged members, Midcoast Conservancy is an innovative conservation organization with the mission to protect and restore the vital lands and waters of midcoast Maine on a scale that matters. Visit www.midcoastconservancy.org to become a member, explore public preserves and programs, or learn more about conservation work. 

About SWCA

Founded on a commitment to sound science and creative solutions, SWCA Environmental Consultants is a leader in environmental and management consulting services. With a mission to be the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, we combine scientific expertise and in-depth knowledge of the industries we serve to tackle global environmental challenges.  

Our diverse team of experts collaborates across disciplines to deliver comprehensive solutions in environmental planning and permitting, cultural resource management, biological and ecological services, water resources management, air quality planning, and sustainability consulting. Since 1981, SWCA has helped clients navigate the environmental compliance process and become more sustainable. As a 100% employee-owned company, all 1,600+ employees across 41 offices are invested in our collective success, driving excellence in every project we undertake. For more information, visit www.swca.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

About MNRCP

The Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) was created to help compensate for unavoidable impacts to protected aquatic resources in the State of Maine by funding the restoration, enhancement, preservation, 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 impacting natural resources, primarily wetlands, to make a payment directly to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) as an alternative to the traditional compensatory mitigation process. Fees collected by MDEP are deposited into separate funds based on the biophysical regions in which the impacts occurred. Funds are then awarded, through an annual competitive grant process, to projects that provide compensation for development impacts. The 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/.