The Wells Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to accept a $350,000 grant from the Land for Maine's Future (LMF) Trust Fund and to execute project agreements and conservation covenants on three town-owned conservation parcels: Tax Map 29 Lot 5, Tax Map 46 Lot 14 and Tax Map 39 Lot 14.

Town staff explained the grant request and the parcels involved. The grant is intended to reimburse or otherwise place $350,000 into the townonservation fund in connection with a recent purchase of a 31-acre parcel off Perry Oliver Road and two other conservation parcels (one roughly five acres near the power lines off Bills Lane and another parcel of about 120 acres nearby). "The proposal with Land for Maine Future was to create [a] conservation easement across this property and two other properties," a staff member said, describing the project agreement the town negotiated with LMF staff and a designated state agency.

Owen Grumling, chair of the Conservation Commission, urged the board to accept the grant and described LMF
greements as a way to permanently protect town conservation lands. "Accepting the grant requires the town to permanently protect town owned parcels," Grumling said, adding that the agreements require public access under town rules, permit hunting, trapping and fishing unless the town passes legislation otherwise, and will require periodic reporting to LMF staff.

Several residents and conservation volunteers supported accepting the grant. Tim Smith, who volunteers with the Great Works Regional Land Trust, said LMF grants have historically allowed Wells to leverage state funds to protect land and that recent town conservation votes have received strong voter support. "One of the things Keith Fletcher did was he kept a record of the town votes for conservation," Smith said, urging acceptance.

Some residents asked clarifying questions about project agreement language. One question focused on a clause titled "use of funds," and whether the LMF grant would be limited to the three parcels or could be placed into the townonservation reserve for future purchases. The manager and conservation volunteers explained the town had already purchased the 31-acre parcel (the board approved that acquisition at town vote earlier this year) and the LMF project agreement is structured to place conservation restrictions on the three parcels and to require annual or biannual reporting to the grant program. The board agreed to amend the project agreement language to clarify that the grant funds would be accounted for in the townonservation fund and to reflect the board's earlier understanding that the grant would reimburse the town for the acquisition rather than permit other uses inconsistent with the project agreement.

A motion to close the public hearing and accept the grant, with changes to the agreement language consistent with the public discussion, passed 5-0. The board authorized the town manager to execute the documents after incorporating the agreed clarifications and correcting minor typographical errors staff and counsel identified.