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By Doug Harlow Staff Writer 07/04/2008

More than 300 acres of land along the Kennebec River was set aside this week by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands in a permanent conservation easement from Madison Paper Industries.,

The land is in the towns of Madison, Anson and Starks.

The easement conserves 303 acres, including 195 acres of islands that harbor a number of rare plants, dragonflies and mussels, according to a release from the Department of Conservation.

The easement also includes important shoreline areas that provide public access to the river.

Conservation of these lands was secured as part of an agreement reached during the federal re-licensing of the Anson and Arenac Hydroelectric projects that generate power for Madison Paper Industries pulp and paper operations in Madison.

“The entire relicensing process for these two hydropower projects has produced a plan for the resources that balances energy generation, recreation, historic preservation, fisheries, wildlife and the environment,” MPI Hydro Supervisor David Lovely said in a statement.

Madison Paper Industries, the Maine Department of Conservation, the towns of Anson and Madison, the Kennebec Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Friends of the Kennebec Salmon, Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, American Rivers, Appalachian Mountain Club, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs were all involved in producing the easement.

A tiny section of the Kennebec, where the Sandy River flows into it below Madison Paper, is in the town of Starks.

“I applaud the efforts of all the parties that helped bring about this easement,” said Bureau of Parks and Lands Deputy Director Alan Stearns. “The bureau’s decision to hold this easement was part of a larger decision to focus our attention on the Kennebec River as we work to protect Maine’s most special places.”

Stearns said that historic stretch of the river is important to anyone interested in Maine outdoors.

“The upper reaches of the Kennebec contain hidden treasures,” he said. “Paddlers can observe rare plants and wildlife in the quiet waters of the river above the dams, or run the rapids. Anglers catch trout and maybe even salmon below the dams.”

Ken Young, project manager for the Kennebec River Initiative and executive director of the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, spoke about the newest effort to conserve the many outstanding values of the Kennebec River.

“The Kennebec River is one of the essential elements of Maine’s outstanding quality of place,” Young said. “The protection for this stretch of the Kennebec River put in place by this easement is a milestone for conservationists who understand the importance of protecting the scenic values, unique natural areas, and important recreational access points along the whole of this river. ”

Doug Harlow — 474-9534

dharlow@centralmaine.com

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