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Pownal commission begins work toward conservation easement for Poland Range Road property to protect aquifer and habitat
Summary
The Pownal Conservation Commission discussed next steps for a conservation easement on the Poland Range Road property — including a checklist for selectboard approval, reserved-rights language and a review of MNAP surveys — and agreed to gather more research before a public hearing in April 2026.
At its July 23 meeting, the Pownal Conservation Commission discussed pursuing a conservation easement on the Poland Range Road property to protect wildlife habitat and guard a local aquifer, with guidance from Chris Franklin, executive director of the Royal River Conservation Trust.
Franklin urged the commission to develop a proof of concept and a written plan for the selectboard that documents conservation reasons and reviews the owner's reserved rights. "It is the committee's responsibility to define the terms of the easement: 'what we can and can't do'," Franklin said, recommending the easement explicitly address potential renewable-energy uses such as solar and wind.
Bob VanMilligan, who was selected as chair at the meeting, said his research indicates a Maine state statute forbids siting a transfer station over an aquifer; the commission noted that protecting groundwater was a primary rationale for pursuing an easement. The property was identified by map and lot numbers (Map 2, lots 28, 30, 32 and 41). Members discussed allowing public access in principle but not encouraging it, and the group recorded that the property's last timber harvest occurred in 2011 and that the site is managed on a 25-year plan.
Franklin asked the commission to assemble a checklist of conservation evidence and to seek selectboard approval once the group has a completed plan and preacquisition information (the commission referenced a preacquisition survey by MNAP). He also requested maps and lot numbers, which the commission provided. Franklin raised the possibility of economic risk to the town if the aquifer were compromised, urging that risk be part of the town's presentation.
Commissioners agreed to delay formal action pending additional research and outreach; they identified the next public hearing opportunity to present as April 2026. Members said they would look for model easement language or boilerplate statutes used by other towns and would return with findings at a future meeting.
Next steps: the commission will assemble the checklist and documentation Franklin recommended, research model statutes and easement templates used in other Maine towns, and prepare materials to present to the selectboard before the April 2026 hearing.
