Leavitt Plantation – Emerson Brook
Leavitt Plantation – Emerson Brook
The Leavitt Plantation, or the “Plantation Land” as it is locally known, is an 8647-acre parcel of forest land in Parsonsfield, Maine just across the New Hampshire border. It is the largest contiguous forest block in York County Maine and has been traditionally managed for forest products for decades. Click here to see map.
In 2001, a group of concerned citizens worked with The Nature Conservancy and the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands to secure funding from Land for Maine’s Future purchased a conservation easement on the property. This insures that the land remains undeveloped and managed for sustainable forestry while it also remains open for public recreation. Click here to see the list of partners.
Sustainable management of the property has helped to protect seventeen state listed rare plants and maintain habitat for a wide range of species such as bear, deer, fisher, bobcat, moose and turkey. Through sound forest management the streams and wetlands on this parcel have been protected to maintain aquatic habitat for a variety of species.
On April 28th, 2012 the Green Mountain Conservation Group (GMCG) partnered with Heartwood Forestland Fund V and LandVest, Inc. to host an open discussion and tour that covered the many different aspects of the Leavitt Plantation. The goal was to bring together the various groups and individuals who recreate, work, and enjoy Leavitt Plantation. Representatives from The Nature Conservancy were on hand and shared information about the endangered plant, the Small-Whorled Pogonia that makes its home on the property. One of the primary reasons the State of Maine was interested in conserving this land was due to the presence of the Small-Whorled Pogonia.
Other points of discussion included a presentation from the property owner: Matthew Sampson of The Forest Land Group, LLC, the property manager, David DeGruttola District Forester NH/ME LandVest, Inc 207-836-2076). They provided a presentation about the unique features of the property and discussed how they are managing the property for sustainable timber production and did a field tour to show the harvest areas and the various steps taken to bring a timber harvest from start to finish.
