Mount A is southern Maine treasure

From the York County Coast Star, April 28, 1999
Reproduced with permission.

By Nancy Sferra

On a warm, April day at Mt. Agamenticus, the sounds of spring engulf the woods as singing spring peepers and wood frogs announce their breeding season. The Mt. Agamenticus region, stretching from the Tatnic Hills in Wells to the York Pond area of Eliot, contains one of the largest concentrations of vernal pools in Maine. These small, ephemeral pools provide breeding habitat for a number of amphibians, including spring peepers, wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and blue-spotted salamanders, and feeding habitat for Blanding’s and spotted turtles. By early May, small dragonflies called ringed bog-haunters emerge from soupy sphagnum pools.

One of the earliest flying dragonflies in Maine, the bog-haunters were unknown in the state until 1997, when the first specimens were collected from wetlands near York Pond. These rare species depend on vernal pool habitat for survival, where the absence of fish ensures that the developing eggs and young are protected from excessive predation.

In early June, Blanding’s and spotted turtles leave their aquatic resting and feeding habitat to traverse the upland forest in search of sunny openings in the woods. Here, they lay their eggs before finding hiding places beneath tree roots where they spend the remainder of the summer.

The forest at Mt. Agamenticus is significant for its large, unfragmented expanse, the largest such pocket in southern Maine. Unlike much of coastal Maine, Mt. Agamenticus is relatively unmarred by major roads and subdivisions. In this forest, many southern plant species such as chestnut oak, shagbark hickory, flowering dogwood, and Atlantic white cedar reach the northern limit of their range. In addition to providing valuable habitat for rare species, Mt. Agamenticus supports most of our common wildlife such as deer, moose, wild turkey, fox, beaver, and nesting songbirds.

Since 1992, the state has purchased over 1,700 acres of wildlife habitat from willing sellers around Mt. Agamenticus. Funding through the Land for Maine’s Future Program, loon license plate money, and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund has been matched by a number of partners including The Nature Conservancy, Great Works Regional Land Trust, York Land Trust, and private landowners. Additional conservation land is owned by the York Water District, Kittery Water District, Town of York, The Nature Conservancy, York Land Trust, and Great Works Regional Land Trust, bringing the total to over 6,000 acres of protected land, all of it open to the public.

The scenic beauty of Mt. Agamenticus, with views of the ocean and the White Mountains, is one of the major attractions for outdoor recreationists in southern Maine. A popular destination for adventurers from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, Mt. Agamenticus is known for its hiking and mountain biking trails. Here, the needs of people intersect with the needs of the natural environment. In order to promote compatible public use, the Mt. Agamenticus Steering Committee was formed in 1997 to develop a public use plan for public and quasi-public land on the mountain. Coordinated by Paul Schumacher of the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, the Steering Committee is composed of representatives of the Town of York, York Water District, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Town of South Berwick, The Nature Conservancy, York Land Trust, and Great Works Regional Land Trust.

The Steering Committee began its task by mapping the trails on conservation lands around Mt. Agamenticus. A digital version of the map was compared with the locations of wetlands, erodable slopes, rare species, natural communities and significant natural features.

Examination of the resulting map, coupled with on-site inspections, led to a draft plan designating specific trails for specific uses that are compatible with the goals of each conservation landowner. A trail map and brochure with visitor use policies and a natural features brochure are in development for distribution at trailheads throughout the area.

This summer with funding coming from the Department of Conservation’s Maine Trails Funding Program, trails will be conditioned and marked with newly posted signs to help direct and inform visitors. As the visitor use plan nears completion, informational meetings will be scheduled to present the plan to the public. Partners will also be looking at ways to implement sound stewardship of the land to ensure long-term protection of Mt. Agamenticus for the enjoyment of future generations.

This summer’s trail work will kick off on June 5 with a volunteer work party on National Trails Day. For information, contact Nancy Sferra at The Nature Conservancy (729-5181) or Mike Sullivan at York Parks and Recreation (363-1040).

This article is the second in a series of articles produced by the members of the Coastal Mosaic Project, that is being coordinated at the Coastal Resource Center at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm. The project aims to support community efforts to conserve a mosaic of natural resources throughout southern Maine. To learn more about how the project is at work in your community, phone Tin Smith, project coordinator (646-1555, ext. 119 or e-mail Smith at tsmith@cybertours.com.

Back to Coastal Mosaic Project main page.