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Selectboard backs funding to help Otisfield buy 85-acre McKay parcel for community forest
Summary
The Selectboard approved up to $250,000 in a zero-interest loan to support purchase of the 85-acre McKay parcel for the Otisfield Community Forest; the town and Trust plan an LWCF grant submission before June 20, 2026 and key due diligence remains.
The Otisfield Conservation Committee met March 17 and discussed progress toward buying an 85-acre parcel for the Otisfield Community Forest, including recent financing decisions by the town and next steps for grant applications and closing. Committee member Lee Dassler said the Selectboard has approved assisting with funding and that WFLT will seek a small adjustment to a matching award.
The committee’s agenda states the Selectboard approved a zero-interest loan of up to $250,000, to come from town funds at the board’s discretion. Committee member Lee Dassler noted WFLT will ask the LMF board on March 31 to increase the project’s LMF award by $5,000 (from $250,000 to $255,000), reflecting an appraisal that came in $10,000 higher than previously assumed.
The agenda also records that a special town meeting on March 5, attended by 53 voters, approved a loan of up to $250,000 for the project and authorized the town to submit a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant application before June 20, 2026. The committee noted LWCF awards would not be made until late fall, with funds becoming available in 2027.
The purchase-and-sale agreement between the Trust and the McKays is scheduled for June 30, 2026; the agenda says the P&S may be reassigned if needed. Remaining due diligence identified in the meeting materials includes an ecological site assessment (ESA1) that is underway and title work that is in progress. The agenda flags a potential need to define a right-of-way to the Thomas Woods parcel if the town is not the purchasing agent at closing.
Next procedural steps for the committee and Trust are completing the ESA and title work, requesting the LMF increase at the March 31 meeting, and preparing the LWCF grant application for submission by the June 20 deadline. The committee did not record any formal vote on these items at the March 17 meeting; the agenda reports external approvals already made by the Selectboard and the earlier special town meeting.
The Otisfield Conservation Committee will continue to monitor the due diligence and grant timeline through the P&S date on June 30, 2026.
