Why & How We Conserve Land
Since 1985, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust has been conserving land and stewarding the vital natural areas of our community with the support of our 1,300+ members.
BTLT's Guiding Conservation Principles
- Mitigating or slowing climate change
- Protecting the rivers and bays in our service area, including buffering those resources as we expect marsh migration and sea level rise, providing water access where appropriate, and protecting fisheries
- Protecting large unfragmented forest blocks, ecologically important habitat including sandplain grasslands, and forested wetlands.
- Connecting recreational and ecological assets
- Protecting farmland, particularly parcels having greater than 50% prime farmland and supporting active farming
- Encouraging public use of land where such public use does not harm the important ecological features of the land
The Land Trust’s goals when conserving land are to protect ecologically significant areas and also to welcome the community to connect with the land, working to balance community values while not impairing ecological values. BTLT works to protect properties using an extensive list of ecological and community value criteria and is conscious of the feasibility constraints in all projects.
Guided by a forward-looking strategic conservation plan, we recognize the need to be strategic to realize the vision of protecting “whole” landscapes that continue to function ecologically and provide the natural benefits that enrich our health and experiences. Planning for the future also means considering changing weather patterns, sea level rise, and coastal flooding, as well as increased invasive plant, pest and pathogen diversity that are projected to occur over the coming decades. Each of these changes affects not only humans but also plant and animal species and guides the work we do to conserve land and steward it as our climate continues to change.
Our Service Area
Across Brunswick, Topsham, and Bowdoin, we care for a diverse network of lands that sustain wildlife, protect water quality, preserve our working farms and forests, and safeguard the scenic character of our region. Curious to see every property the Land Trust has conserved, forever? Click the button below! Whether you are looking for a new trail to explore, curious about a property you have passed by, or simply want to understand the breadth of BTLT’s work, this page is your guide to the land we protect, together.
Our Focus Areas
Curious to learn more about where BTLT concentrates our efforts to protect the natural, cultural, and community values that define our region? Click the button to learn more about our focus areas, and how we ensure that our land conservation work safeguards not only individual properties but entire connected ecosystems that support resilient wildlife populations, clean water, and healthy soils.
Have land you are considering conserving?
We would love to have a conversation!