Fuller Farm (ME) Fundraising Successful

SCARBOROUGH, MAINE, 12/18/01: The Scarborough Land Conservation Trust (SLCT) and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced today the permanent protection of 150-acre Fuller Farm and an adjacent 30 acres, known as the Blue Rock property. This marks the successful end to a two-year campaign to protect these 180 contiguous acres from development. Located on Broadturn Road in western Scarborough, the land has long been a conservation priority because of its scenic beauty, value for recreation, and wildlife habitat.

Over the past two years, the two organizations have worked together to raise the more than $700,000 needed to complete the project. The state’s Land for Maine’s Future Program granted $250,000, the Town of Scarborough contributed $215,000, and over $235,000 was raised from approximately 300 private supporters. As the owner of the properties, SLCT will manage the land for conservation, public access, and wildlife habitat, and plans to keep the hay fields in agricultural production. The Town of Scarborough holds a conservation easement over the properties.

“We are thrilled at the success of the campaign to protect the Fuller Farm properties,” said Laurene Swaney, president of the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust. “This has been the most ambitious conservation effort in our 24-year history and would not have been possible without the great partnership effort between our land trust, the Town of Scarborough and the State of Maine. Special thanks go to the Trust for Public Land, which stepped in a year and a half ago to help us hold the property off the market and raise funds for the project. We are also grateful to the Fuller family and Blue Rock Industries for working with us on the sale of their properties.”

“The protection of these beautiful properties is a true conservation win for Scarborough residents and visitors,” said Jeremy Wintersteen, project manager for the Trust for Public Land. “These lands will now always be available for people and wildlife. We commend the Scarborough Town Council and the Land for Maine’s Future Program for supporting this outstanding project.”

“The chance to protect Fuller Farm was a great opportunity for the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust, Town Council, and Scarborough residents and was one that we did not want to lose,” said Jeff Messer, chair of the Scarborough Town Council. “As one of the fastest growing towns in the state, we must do everything we can to protect important lands like these before they are lost. I’d like to especially thank one councilor in particular, Sue Foley-Ferguson, for her efforts. Sue’s work, energy, and commitment helped make this project – and others like the passage of the land bond – happen.”

“The Land for Maine’s Future Program is proud to support projects like Fuller Farm,” remarked Tim Glidden, director of the Land for Maine’s Future Program. “The state, town, and land trust partnership really leveraged funding that came from a number of sources. Congratulations to the land trusts on their leap of faith over 20 months ago when they committed themselves to this effort.”

“The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is pleased to have helped protect the Fuller Farm properties,” said Ken Elowe, director of the Bureau of Resource Management for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “Their protection will benefit the Nonesuch River and the downstream Scarborough Marsh. The conservation of the Fuller Farm properties will also protect important fish and wildlife habitat that is under severe pressure in southern Maine.” The Department sponsored SLCT’s application to the Land for Maine’s Future Program.

The Fuller Farm properties include more than 3,000 feet of frontage on the Nonesuch River, Scarborough’s largest river, which feeds the 3,100-acre Scarborough Marsh-the largest saltwater marsh in Maine. Scarborough is one of Maine’s fastest growing communities, and the protection of the Fuller Farm properties’ forests and fields will help preserve some of the town’s rural character and natural beauty.

The Scarborough Land Conservation Trust is a nonprofit land trust with a mission of conserving important lands in Scarborough. To date, SLCT has protected 12 properties totaling 524 acres and manages approximately 4 miles of the Old Eastern Trail. For more information, please call Laurene Swaney at (207) 883-4909.

The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving land for people to enjoy as parks and open space. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 1.4 million acres nationwide, including 30,000 acres in Maine. For more information visit www.tpl.org.

Note to editors: for a scanned photograph, contact Erin Rowland at (617) 367-6200 x 321.