Knox-Lincoln SWCD to host Maine Audubon

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Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting Maine Audubon to present Stream Smart Training – Phase One on Thursday, May 26, at the Camden Opera House and online. The hybrid training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and includes refreshments and resource materials.

This half-day introductory workshop provides training for professionals to expand the local knowledge base on how to include aquatic organism passage and higher storm volume capacity when designing stream/road crossings.

Applying the Stream Smart principles to road crossings can help connect and maintain fish and wildlife habitat while protecting roads and public safety. Stream Smart crossings can also help towns prepare for the large and frequent storm events that have been washing out roads around the state and the northeast. Participants will learn about learn about: the value of free-flowing streams; the regulations that are applicable when working on road/stream crossings; the principles of building Stream Smart crossings; the costs and benefits of Stream Smart crossings; and where to look for funding.

These workshops are designed for professionals responsible for road-stream crossings, including municipal leaders, managers, and public works employees. They cover road-stream crossing projects from site assessment to permitting and installation, and emphasize maintaining and restoring aquatic habitat and economic values of the stream. Workshop presenters include professionals from state and federal agencies and statewide non-profits, participants can receive recertification credit for Maine DEP’s Voluntary Contractor Certifi­cation Program, and information on potential funding sources.

Pre-registration with payment of $25 (mail-in registration) / $26 (online registration) is required by Friday, May 20. Attendees may register and pay online or download a registration form from the Knox-Lincoln SWCD website at www.knox-lincoln.org/events-workshops/stream-smart or for more information, contact Knox-Lincoln SWCD office at 596-2040, julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Knox-Lincoln SWCD is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Backyard composting and rain barrel sale

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All composting supplies and rain barrels are available. Get one of each and be ready to conserve precious water and make compost to improve garden soil.

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), in cooperation with Maine Resource and Recovery Association, is again offering local residents the opportunity to improve soil and conserve water right in their own backyards at deep discount prices! It’s easy with the tried-and-true 80-gallon Earth Machine backyard composter and the 55-gallon Systern rain barrel. Both are made of recycled materials, designed to fit into any landscape, and are offered at wholesale prices. The Earth Machine composter has an “in at the top/out at the bottom” design and a 10-year warranty. The Systern rain barrel fits under a downspout to take advantage of roof run-off for garden watering and has built-in mosquito mesh and overflow capability.

We also are offering a 3-foot x 4-foot trap wire bin made by Brooks Trap Mill in Thomaston that has a 3/4 cubic yard capacity. This larger bin, made of coated lobster trap wire, is perfect for yard debris and has the seal of approval from some of Maine’s top composting experts.

To make it even easier to convert kitchen scraps into soil, we also have accessories: a 2-gallon Sure Close kitchen scrap pail with vented, locking lid that keeps odors in and flies out; Wingdigger compost aerator and turner to mix compost layers and decrease compaction without straining your back; and the REOtemp compost thermometer with a 20-inch stem to monitor interior temperatures and turn anyone into a serious composting enthusiast! Prices for all items are well below suggested retail.

Ordering deadline is Friday, April 22, 2022. Either order online at https://www.knox-lincoln.org/backyard-sale/ or download an order form on our website and send with check. Scheduled pickups for composting items will be in June at the District office located at 893 West Street (Rt 90), Rockport.

For more information or to request an order form by mail, contact Knox-Lincoln SWCD at 596-2040 or julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Apple Pruning workshop set for March 12

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Register by March 4th for Apple Pruning Techniques hands-on workshop at Midcoast Conservancy’s Trout Brook Preserve in Alna

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is pleased to collaborate with Midcoast Conservancy to offer a program on pruning techniques needed to keep your apple trees productive. on Saturday, March 12, from 9 a.m. – noon, at Midcoast Conservancy’s Trout Brook Preserve in Alna.

Cheryl Denz, owner and operator of Terra Optima Farm and Landscaping, in Appleton, will teach this popular class! Whether you have a small home orchard or one old tree that feeds the deer, this workshop will teach you the basic pruning techniques needed to keep your trees alive – and bearing fruit

Prior registration is required by Friday, March 4, for this class as space is limited. Dress appropriately for the weather and please bring any pruning tools you may have (pruners, loppers, handsaw). A limited number of additional tools will be available. In the event of inclement weather, the alternative date is March 19; they will contact registrants by 7 a.m. on March 12 should they need to postpone. Class fee is: $20/individual; $35/2 members of one household (plus $1 online payment processing fee).

To register, go to Knox-Lincoln SWCD’s website: https://www.knox-lincoln.org/events-workshops. For more information, please call 596-2040 or email info@knox-lincoln.org.

Annual plant sale fundraiser underway

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Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District’s 2022 Spring Plant Sale Catalog is now available in print and online! Plants are available for pre-order, either online or by mail through Tuesday, April 19, 2022. This year we are offering curbside pick-up of your orders on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, and “Cash and Carry” on Saturday, May 14, at Union Fairgrounds. Quantities are limited so order early – and often – for the best selection!

This annual spring fundraiser provides more than 180 varieties to choose from: bareroot fruit trees and berries for the home orchard and garden; native conifers, deciduous trees, shrubs and vines for conservation, wildlife, and landscape enhancement; and native, organic, Maine-grown perennials and herbs in 1-gallon pots for pollinators. The plant list includes new varieties in all categories as well as tried and true favorites. As always, the print catalog offers descriptions of the plants and cultural requirements to aid in choosing the right plant for the right place. Plant care fact sheets and additional information, including plant images, may be found on our newly updated online store and website.

The proceeds of this fundraiser support the youth and adult conservation programs throughout the year.

They are dependent on volunteers to help pack orders and distribute to customers. Volunteers receive some perks as a thank you for helping with our largest annual fundraiser. If interested, please contact louisa@knox-lincoln.org.

Don’t wait to place your order: visit https://www.knox-lincoln.org/spring-plant-sale to download a catalog or to shop online; call 596-2040 or email julie@knox-lincoln.org to receive a catalog by USPS – and, think spring!

EVENTS – Question #1: CMP corridor debate Oct. 14

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by Jan John
Event organizer

The next Lincoln County Community Conversations event will take place on Thursday, October 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The panel discussion focuses on the November referendum Question 1 in order to provide voters “Views from Both Ends of the CMP Corridor.”

Supporters and opponents of Question #1, a citizen’s initiative on the November 2 ballot, have Maine voters pitted against each other in an all out tug-o-war. The question reads, “Do you want to ban the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region and to require the Legislature to approve all other such projects anywhere in Maine, both retroactively to 2020, and to require the Legislature, retroactively to 2014, to approve by a two-thirds vote such projects using public land?”

A “Yes” vote will ban the construction of the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), colloquially known as the CMP Corridor, and any other high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region. It will make it so all construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in Maine has to be approved by the State Legislature. If the transmission lines are on public lands, a yes vote would require a supermajority in the Legislature in order for construction to be approved. These provisions would apply retroactively to September 16, 2020, meaning that all projects previously approved within that time frame would become subject to review and reapproval of or denial by the Legislature. Finally, a yes vote would require the Legislature to review and reapprove or deny the use of public lands for any poles, transmission lines and facilities, landing strips, pipelines and railroad tracks, retroactively to September 16, 2014.

A “No” vote would allow the construction of the CMP corridor and similar projects to continue as permitted in the Upper Kennebec Region. It would uphold the status quo of not requiring state legislative approval for the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the state and not requiring two-thirds of the State Legislature to approve the use of public lands for any poles, transmission lines and facilities, landing strips, pipelines and railroad tracks.

Event organizer, Jan John, of Bristol, shares, “There is a lot to this question and we want to use our Community Conversations forum to bring together representatives from both sides of this issue. We hope that our panel will help us unpack it all, calmly, and present facts and figures so that the voters of Lincoln County are able to make informed choices on election day. This vote has the potential to set precedents for generations to come.”

Please contact John at janjohn1us@yahoo.com or 207-529-6502.

Pruning apple trees: hands-on workshop in Rockland

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Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is offering a hands-on workshop to teach pruning apple trees on Friday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to noon, and Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m. – noon, at MacDougal Park, in Rockland. The same information will be covered on both days; you only need to attend one workshop.

Cheryl Denz, owner and operator of Terra Optima Farm and Landscaping, in Appleton, will teach pruning techniques needed to keep your trees productive. Whether you have a small home orchard or one old tree that feeds the deer, this workshop will teach you the basic pruning techniques needed to keep your trees alive – and bearing fruit.

Prior registration is required by Wed., March 17, for this class as space is limited. Dress appropriately for the weather and please bring any pruning tools you may have (pruners, loppers, handsaw). A limited number of additional tools will be available. In the event of cancellation for really bad weather, they will get in touch by email by 8 a.m., the day of the workshop. There is a fee: $15/individual; $25/2 members of one household (plus $1 online payment processing fee).

To register, go to Knox-Lincoln SWCD’s website: https://www.knox-lincoln.org/events-workshops. For more information, please call 596-2040 or email julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Trout stocking sale underway; Pre-order deadline is May 19

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Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (KLSWCD) is once again sponsoring an annual trout stocking sale for your home or farm pond. They offer two sizes, 4 – 6-inch rainbow trout and 7 – 9-inch brook trout, as well as oxygen bags that hold up to 50 fish. Minimum order is $50.

To order, you must have a current stocking permit from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W). Permit applications must be on file with KLSWCD before May 19. Please allow two weeks for IF&W to process your application. Permit applications and trout order forms are available on the KLSWCD website at http://www.knox-lincoln.org/trout-sale or contact them to receive one by mail.

Trout sale pre-order deadline is May 19 with pick-up at noon on Wednesday, May 26, at the District Office, located at 893 West St. (Rt 90), in Rockport.

For more information, visit: https://www.knox-lincoln.org/trout-sale, call 596-2040, or email rebecca@knox-lincoln.org.

Knox-Lincoln spring plant sale catalog and online ordering are here

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Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District’s 2021 Spring Plant Sale Catalog is now available in print and online! Plants are available for pre-order only, either online or by mail through Monday, April 12. This year we are offering safe scheduled curbside pick-up of your order on Saturday, May 8 at Union Fairgrounds. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will be no cash & carry items and no public sale this year. Quantities are limited so order early – and often – for the best selection!

This annual spring fundraiser provides more than 180 varieties to choose from: bareroot fruit trees and berries for the home orchard and garden; native conifers, deciduous trees, shrubs and vines for conservation, wildlife, and landscape enhancement; and native, organic, Maine-grown perennials and herbs in 1-gallon pots for pollinators. The plant list includes new varieties in all categories as well as tried and true favorites. As always, the print catalog offers descriptions of the plants and cultural requirements to aid in choosing the right plant for the right place. Plant care fact sheets and additional information, including plant images, may be found in our newly updated online store and website.

Don’t wait – visit www.knox-lincoln.org/spring-plant-sale to download a catalog or to shop online; call 596-2040 or email julie@knox-lincoln.org to receive a catalog by USPS – and, think spring!

Conservation district offers backyard composting equipment

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All composting supplies and rain barrels are available for pre-order only. Get one of each and be ready to conserve precious water and make compost to improve garden soil.

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), in cooperation with Maine Resource and Recovery Association, is again offering local residents the opportunity to improve soil and conserve water right in their own backyards at deep discount prices! It’s easy with the tried-and-true 80-gallon Earth Machine backyard composter and the 55-gallon Systern rain barrel. Both are made of recycled materials, designed to fit into any landscape, and are offered at wholesale prices. The Earth Machine composter has an “in at the top/out at the bottom” design and a 10-year warranty. The Systern rain barrel fits under a downspout to take advantage of roof run-off for garden watering and has built-in mosquito mesh and overflow capability.

They also are offering a 3-foot x 4-foot trap wire bin made by Brooks Trap Mill in Thomaston that has a three-quarter cubic yard capacity. This larger bin, made of coated lobster trap wire, is perfect for yard debris and has the seal of approval from some of Maine’s top composting experts.

To make it even easier to convert kitchen scraps into soil, they also have accessories: a 2-gallon Sure Close kitchen scrap pail with vented, locking lid that keeps odors in and flies out; Wingdigger compost aerator and turner to mix compost layers and decrease compaction without straining your back; and the REOtemp compost thermometer with a 20-inch stem to monitor interior temperatures and turn anyone into a serious composting enthusiast! Prices for all items are well below suggested retail.

Ordering deadline is Monday, April 12, 2021. Either order online at https://www.knox-lincoln.org/backyard-sale/ or download an order form on our website and send with check. Scheduled pickups for composting items will be in early June at the District office located at 893 West Street (Rt 90), Rockport.

For more information or to request an order form by mail, contact Knox-Lincoln SWCD at 596-2040 or julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Knox-Lincoln Conservation District plant sale canceled

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In response to the national emergency created by COVID-19 and Maine Governor Janet Mills’ Executive Order of March 31, 2020, which mandates that Maine citizens “Stay Healthy at Home” through at least April 30, the Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors made the difficult decision to cancel our Spring Plant Sale, scheduled for May 2 and 3, 2020, at Union Fairgrounds. This includes the public sale and all pre-order sales. Although the sale itself falls outside the current mandate, the preparation for the sale would require hundreds of hours of labor by numerous volunteers in close, sustained contact during the period covered by the mandate.

This decision reflects what districts around the state and country are also doing and, still, it is a great disappointment to all. Providing food plants for home gardens and native plants for pollinators, other wildlife, as well as soil & water conservation benefits for home landscapes is extremely important to the District. In the end, however, we did not feel we could hold the sale and ensure the health of volunteers, customers and staff.

All customers who placed a pre-order will receive a refund. Thank you for your understanding in supporting this decision and look forward to a healthy and prosperous sale in 2021. Our office is currently closed but we are monitoring phone messages and email. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 596-2040 or email info@knox-lincon.org and we will respond as soon as possible. Please check our website at www.knox-lincoln.org for more information about this and other programs and to receive a plant sale catalog in 2021.