Barnaby Porter, who has lived on the Damariscotta River for close to 40 years, tells the story of a day when he, his son and naturalists from the Chewonki Foundation tried to return an young osprey to the nest on a navigational marker that the bird had fallen from. “We pretty much knew it was a fruitless mission,” he says (Chewonki did end up caring for the osprey), “but we wanted to see if we could get it back into the nest. We approached the marker, which was fairly low, and as we did so, we attracted an unbelievable amount of attention from passing boaters who thought we were up to no good.” He goes on to say that he thought it was a positive sign that so many people were acting as watchdogs along the river. “Many times since then,” he says, “I’ve seen that people feel a proprietorship about the river and do keep a close eye on things.”
Much of that sense of proprietorship has been fostered by the 35-year-old Damariscotta River Association (DRA), both in programs it has created to educate the public about the river’s diverse wonders and uses, and in its work to balance traditional use with conservation efforts. Difficult though it may be to maintain the balance, Mark DesMeules, Director of DRA, emphasizes that the organization recognizes that “the river is a public resource owned by everyone in this area and beyond.” The river, which is actually a 12-mile estuary, occupies a place in many hearts, lives and livelihoods: from lobstermen and clam diggers to recreational fishermen and boaters, from oyster and mussel growers to riparian landowners and area merchants.
In encouraging multiple use, the DRA operates with the philosophy that if people benefit from the river’s pristine waters and shoreline preserves, they will value the river even more, and they will be inspired to become stewards to protect the health of this resource that provides so much beauty, joy and economic gain. To this end, the DRA has developed a multitude of programs to promote public use and appreciation. It also works in partnership with oyster growers for special projects and festivals and collaborates with area businesses to develop activities that will attract the public to the area.
DRA land holdings are well publicized with maps on its web site and at its headquarters, and with road signs, information kiosks, brochures, and recently, pinpointed on the association’s latest publication, the map, “A Small Craft Explorer’s Map and Guide for the Damariscotta River Estuary.”
Land acquired by the DRA and protected in partnership with other organizations and agencies totals 2,700 acres and 22 miles of shoreline. The preserves range in size, examples being 15 acres on Rutherford Island, 33 acres at Seal Cove in South Bristol, and over 500 acres in the Dodge Point Preserve, which has a dock and sandy beach. Recently, the DRA also opened a 150-foot boardwalk built by volunteers at the Marsh River Bog Preserve and a seven-mile hiking trail which extends from Dodge Point to the Schmitt Preserve in Edgecomb. DesMeules says there are plans to link the former Round Top Center for the Arts to Salt Bay Heritage Farm on Belvedere Road, headquarters for DRA, and from there to Damariscotta downtown. Over the long term, DRA is working with several area land trusts and towns on a trail along the Damariscotta River that will extend to the Sheepscot River and Boothbay.
A Land Trust since 1987, DRA has over 1,500 members with more than 300 active volunteers. It is among the largest land trusts in Maine. “The land trust aspect of DRA is a huge benefit,” notes DRA board member Dick Clime. “Land trusts are the backbone of the effort to put lands aside that are critical coastal areas and to prevent development of these areas. There is a direct correlation between declining water quality with a rise in human structures and human activity near the shore.”
Since 1988, DRA volunteers have run one of the association’s most important programs, Tidewater Watch, which monitors the health of river water. Students from area schools and DRA members collect samples at 40 stations along the river to test for bacteria and monitor temperature and salinity. They work closely with the Department of Marine Resources to identify and track any problem areas. The program was initiated, says Clime, who recently sold the oyster farm he had run with a partner for the past 30 years, because oyster growers along the river, who he estimates harvested close to two million oysters last year, were concerned about state-mandated closures at certain points along the river.
The DRA has created numerous programs to educate the public about the river’s diverse wonders and strategies it believes are necessary to ensure that the river and its wildlife will flourish in the future. Among them are after-school educational programs for students: Field School for Naturalists for Grades 3-6, a Native American Living Skills and Culture program, the Naturalist on the Loose, who visits area schools, and Camp Mummichog in the summer.
Adults are given varied opportunities to learn from speakers, outings and educational programs. The latter include Oyster Gardening in a program started by Dana Morse of Maine Sea Grant or participating in Archaeology Field School at the site of the 18th century Bryant-Barker Tavern in Newcastle. They can train as volunteer River Stewards who travel the river on Sundays and Thursdays during the summer and fall to keep an eye on activities and chat with various people they meet along the way, can offer time as a Trail Tamer to maintain preserve trails, or help run the Oyster Festival put on by Pemaquid Oyster in late September with help from DRA.
For everyone, learning about and enjoying the river can begin with perusing information available at Salt Bay Heritage Farm. There, visitors can also take advantage of the many activities available at the farm, including cross-country skiing or sledding in winter, a farmer’s market in summer, or in July, the Reggae Concert by the Bay. Year round, farmhouse meeting rooms are available for public use.
During the past year, DRA has partnered with the Midcoast Green Collaborative, which is promoting the Damariscotta/Newcastle area as a Maine renewable energy center. DRA planned to participate in its first Sustainable Energy Expo on April 18 and 19 at the YMCA in Damariscotta. To support “greener” energy use, the DRA has begun to incorporate energy efficient technologies into remodeling its older buildings, and on its web site, it features Paul Kando’s list of “Steps You Can Take to Reduce Energy Use and Cut Carbon Emissions.”
Although it is widely recognized that recreational use of the river can inspire the public to help protect the resource, talking with commercial users makes clear how encompassing the DRA’s job is and the multitude of challenges it faces.
Sebastian Belle, director of Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) mentioned concerns about some boaters, who, he says, “have no clue or don’t care about the impact of their wakes on aquaculture sights or people working on the river.” The MAA is lobbying strenuously with the legislature to require all boat operators to complete a boating safety course. He hopes DRA will join this effort. Belle is also concerned about increased human waste, shoreline litter and boat traffic at the Damariscotta town landing, which provides access for both commercial and recreational users.
Tim Alley, a fisherman who belongs the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, also mentioned the impacts of increased river traffic. But, he added, even though he sometimes has to wait while recreational boaters gas up and buy lobsters at the co-op, the flip side is it’s good for business. “They’re spending money, and I can’t object to that,” he says. “I’m a member of the co-op. I don’t own that river. They have as much right to it as I do.”
Alley also brought up problems with kayakers who need to understand that lobster fishermen don’t work in a straight line. “We’re circling around looking for the next pot buoy and the next 36-foot lobster boat,” he says. “We’re fortunate there haven’t been any accidents so far.” He adds that kayakers out in fog really irritate him. “We don’t pick them up on radar,” he explains. “It tenses you up a little more to have this sense they might be nearby. I think there should be more education for them.”
Education and collaboration are words that often surface in discussions with different people about protecting the river. The DRA has sought to foster both and build a sense of proprietorship in its diverse users. As Mary Kate Reny, head of the Damariscotta Region Business Alliance, says, “The coolest thing about DRA is that it makes links between everybody. It recognizes it takes kids, business people, residents, everyone — not just land conservationists — to save the river.”
For further information, visit www.draclt.org or call 207-563-1393.