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Lands and Conservation Commission outlines orchard, invasive-plant work and trail improvements
Summary
Chair Mike Schwindt told the Town Council the Lands and Conservation Commission and its five subcommittees oversaw volunteer-led trail repairs, planted a community orchard and advanced invasive-plant control this year, and plans further easements, education and a multi-year invasive-management budget.
The Town Council heard a detailed report July 28 from Mike Schwindt, chair of the Lands and Conservation Commission, on the commission’s work over the past year and proposals for fiscal 2026.
Schwindt said the commission has relied heavily on volunteers and outside grants and donations. “So far, we've accessed about a $168,000 from outside sources,” he told the council, and those funds paid for items from electric mowers and trail stone to educational classes and library efficiency improvements.
Why it matters: the commission manages town-owned conservation parcels, trails and community programs that affect residents' recreation, storm resilience and long-term forestry and open-space planning. Councilors heard the commission’s plans now so they can consider funding and easements while the commission develops formal management plans for major properties.
Most of the presentation outlined work by five subcommittees. The trails subcommittee described clearing storm damage from the 2024 storms, placing roughly 33 cubic yards of gravel on persistently wet sections of town trails and building a 26-foot walkway across a wet area in Greenlee Woods. The commission said it manages approximately 16 miles of mapped trails and will continue pursuing trail easements from private owners to protect routes “into perpetuity.”
On forestry and invasives, Schwindt said the town owns more than 1,041 acres of forested land and that contractors and volunteers have begun mulching and treating large stands of buckthorn and knotweed. The commission said a private contractor mulched about 8–10 acres in Rhine’s Forest at a cost of $15,000; contract treatments and follow-up herbicide work continue. Schwindt also said Maine DOT agreed to spray knotweed along Route 1 if the town did initial precutting this summer.
On sustainability and climate action, the commission reported 14 of 19 climate-action measures are complete and moving into monitoring. Examples cited included lower greenhouse-gas forecasts for the new school building and a high local rate of residential heat-pump installations. The commission said its fiscal 2026 priorities include decreasing food waste through composting and bringing a UNE sustainability fellow’s research to the council later tonight.
On community orchards and outreach, Schwindt said volunteers planted more than 100 fruit and nut trees during two community plantings in 2024 and 2025, distributed seedlings at the Prince Memorial Library and secured plant-protection materials for each tree. He credited a grant partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and volunteer labor from Enterprise Rent-A-Car for the planting days.
Schwindt requested continued town support for multi-year invasive-plant control. He told the council the commission is developing a multi-year plan that will include a sustained budget for professional services in areas volunteers cannot safely or legally treat. “Gaining and maintaining ground will require a consistent ongoing commitment of effort along with funds for professional services that can't be performed by volunteers,” he said.
The commission said it will deliver management plans for major parcels such as Greeley Woods and Twin Brook as part of a longer-range plan, and it asked councilors to expect formal requests for easements and funding as those plans move from draft to adoption.
Ending: Councilors praised the volunteers and asked staff to coordinate follow-up briefings and to circulate draft management plans and cost estimates when they are available.
