BELFAST — Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper secured the purchase of the 54-acre “Little River Parcel,” formerly the site of the proposed Nordic Aquafarms factory fish farm.

Nordic abandoned the project and property last year after a seven-year effort by Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper (then known as Upstream Watch) and others to protect the Little River and Penobscot Bay from the polluting impacts of the project on water quality and the destruction of the forest and wetlands on the parcel, according to a Nov. 7 news release from Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper.

“Defeating the Nordic project was truly a community effort, as is the purchase of the Little River parcel,” said Pete Nichols, Executive Director of Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper, in the release.  “We are honored to step up and protect this iconic place for the community.” 

The Little River in Belfast, with its public walking trail, swimming holes, wetlands, maturing forest and meadows, boasts a stunning open view and access to Penobscot Bay. 

“This land is deeply loved by the community and the location and ecology of this property are very rare along the Midcoast,” Nichols said.  In addition to being a special “in-town” sanctuary that offers free water access to all, the forest, wetlands and meadows also provide habitat for wildlife and are sequestering and storing carbon.

“This land along the Little River offers unique recreational opportunities and the forest and wetlands are critical to the health of the Little River, Penobscot Bay, the climate and wildlife”, said Jonathan Fulford, Vice President of Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper.   “It took a team effort to preserve this land for the good of the Bay, the Little River and the community, and marks  a terrific end to a long and difficult struggle. We’re excited to make this vision a reality.”

With the 54-acre parcel now under the ownership of Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper, Nichols said the organization will begin planning for the future of the land and buildings on the site. 

“Our plans for the conservation of the land are fairly simple:  we are going to prioritize natural and ecological resiliency, said Nichols. "It’s not lost on anyone that we are in an existential climate and extinction crisis and are in the midst of a significant loss of biodiversity.  Any work done on the land will be aimed at renewal, restoration and rewilding to meet those challenges.”

As for the former Belfast Water District buildings on the site, Nichols said that Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper will conduct an assessment of the buildings and will initially utilize the building adjacent to the Little River for its office space and a community meeting space. 

“In the new year, we will be developing a vision for the building site that is focused on the ecology of the Penobscot Bay, the Little River and the watershed,” Nichols said.  “We hope to work with many groups from the region and beyond to create a vision that focuses on wild lands, clean water and biodiversity,  while educating visitors on the value of natural, wild places, particularly those in close proximity to municipalities."

Nichols said that raising the $1.5 million for the purchase of the property was a long and challenging process and that the community ultimately stepped up to protect the land. 

“We are extremely grateful for the support from the community for this project and while we came very close to meeting that goal, we did need to finance a small portion of the funds to complete the purchase.” 

Nichols encouraged the community to continue to support this project. 

“If you value and enjoy this type of open space for the community, now is the time to help us get over the line, ” he said.

For more information, visit Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper to learn more about or donate to the Little River Project.