Town of Castine

This Forest Management Plan for the Schumacher Preserve, a 3.5-acre woodland in Castine, Maine, provides management guidance as part of the Castine Canopy Project. It aims to foster sustainable community forestry and woodland management, supporting climate adaptation, environmental education, and responsible land stewardship. The plan focuses on maintaining healthy, resilient forests, protecting wildlife habitat, managing stormwater, and storing carbon. Key initiatives include addressing the prevalence of invasive species through phased removal and reforestation with native trees, enhancing public access, and promoting overall environmental resilience. The objective is to transform the preserve from a degraded, invasive-dominated area into a native coastal hardwood refuge and a living demonstration of community forestry and historic landscape restoration.

This Woodlands Overview Report details the characteristics, history, and current condition of Castine's woodlands, encompassing forest types, wildlife, health, pests, and climate implications. It outlines management tools for landowners, reviews the town's urban tree canopy management, and proposes ordinance changes for broader woodlands oversight. The plan aims to foster land stewardship, enhance environmental resilience, and adapt to climate change impacts through public education, advocacy, and collaborative practices.

This Forest Management Plan guides the management of the Town of Castine's Transfer Station and Public Works Lot, integrating it into the broader Castine Canopy Project. The plan aims to foster sustainable community forestry and woodland management, supporting climate adaptation, environmental education, and responsible land stewardship. Key focus areas include maintaining healthy, resilient forests, protecting wildlife habitat, managing stormwater, and storing carbon. Strategic recommendations involve maintaining boundary lines, developing public education opportunities, managing invasive plants, conducting sustainable timber thinning, following best management practices, and extending the Greenbie Trail. The plan is designed to achieve the Town's goals over the next decade.

Discussions centered on the lack of new major water department projects planned for the year, noting that a generator project secured by a grant remains on hold with the federal government. Operational expenses show an increase of approximately three and a half percent. Specific line items reviewed included minor fee increases reimbursed through payroll, and a discussion clarifying that higher arsenic filter costs last year were due to delayed billing from the prior year, with the annual filter change cost being $10,000. Extra legal expenses were attributed to work performed by Peter Garrett and Oliver regarding the source water protection ordinance and mapping. Increases in fuel, power, and insurance costs were noted, with property insurance nearly doubling due to updated replacement cost valuations following recent site visits. Power costs increased as multi-year fixed contracts expired. The group discussed PFAS testing costs and frequency, noting recent bills were lower than anticipated. Concerns were raised about flat revenues despite rate increases, which the speaker attributed to decreased water usage, particularly from properties installing low-flow fixtures. The structure of the contract renewal with Oliver and Associates for 2026 and associated cost increases were mentioned. Finally, a detailed discussion addressed ongoing work concerning source water protection and a recent overwhelming vote to authorize up to $15,000 for Sia Mahar to investigate a high PFAS level (20 times the EPA limit) detected in a test well near the fire station property. The board also noted that rehab bonds are rolling off, signaling future street projects.

The public hearing was held to inform voters about two articles subject to a secret ballot referendum. The first article concerned the renewal of the lease for the State Street Reservoir site with the Community Childhood Learning Place (also known as the Round School) for an additional 10 years, beginning June 15, 2026. Representatives from the Community Childhood Learning Place argued that they met all contractual terms for renewal, including those in Article Nine, and questioned why the renewal required a public referendum. The second article involved authorizing the select board to negotiate leases for a town doc vendor portion for up to five years. Attendees expressed strong support for the Community Childhood Learning Place, citing its positive impact on early childhood development, community collaboration, and the difficulty of finding quality childcare nearby. Conversely, some residents raised concerns about the quality of care, citing past staff turnover, specific concerning incidents, and DHS investigations, arguing that a 10-year renewal under current terms would be an endorsement they do not deserve.