KELT preserves are on the traditional land of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Kennebec River Valley is the homeland of the Kennebis (or Kennebec) tribe of the Abenaki Nation (a part of the Wabanaki Confederacy). The Sagadahoc band of the Kennebec tribe lived in the Kennebec Estuary from Merrymeeting Bay to the Atlantic Ocean for nearly 13,000 years prior to the arrival of English colonists in the early 17th century. The Wabanaki people adapted to changes in the land and developed complex cultures with intimate knowledge of the earth, that we continue to rely upon and learn from. We acknowledge the Wabanaki as the original stewards of the land, and acknowledge the repeated erasure of their history and culture both in land conservation and beyond.

X ACRES OF LAND PROTECTED

25 MILES OF TRAIL STEWARDED

Fee Properties

KELT currently stewards X acres of fee property conservation land. For some landowners, preserving the land they love means they want KELT to own the land - protecting fragile habitat, developing recreation potential, and offering significant public benefit.

• Beaver Pond Preserve

• Bonyun Preserve

• Brick Island Preserve

• Center Point Preserve

• Green Point Preserve

• Higgins Mountain Preserve

• Lilly Pond Preserve

Fee properties without recreation infrastructure

• Bay Parcel Preserve

• Crawford Creek Preserve

• Dunton Preserve

• Graves Preserve

• Iceboro Land Preserve

• Little River Preserve

• Losier Roger Preserve

• Middle Road Forest Preserve

• Rouse Island Preserve

• Trafton Meadow Preserve

• Varney Cove & Island Preserve

• Whiskeag Creek Preserve

• Yankee Bog Preserve

• Yoray Preserve

• Zorach Preserve

Easement Properties

Conservation Easement

KELT has conserved X acres through conservation easements. Land is donated or placed under a conservation easement, a legal agreement that remains with the land, forever. They are among the most meaningful legacies a person or family can leave to future generations. When completed, it is the job of the land trust to make sure that promise is kept. Easement properties are not open for public recreation.

• Back River

• Bailey Point

• Bellows

• Butler Head

• Connery

• Davenport Camp

• Hamilton

• Hockomock Island

Agricultural Easement

An agricultural easement is a form of conservation easement. It is designed and developed with farm use as the top priority and remains in effect on the land regardless of ownership. Like a conservation easement, this is a voluntary, legal agreement with the landowner. This keeps the farm in private ownership and as a farm forever. These types of easements support local food in our communities.

• Dewick Farm

• Fairwinds Farm

• Harvest Tide Organics

• Hockomock Bay Farm

• Marsh Field Farm

How to Protect Your Land

• Donate land to KELT.

• Inform KELT of your interest to sell land.

• Utilize conservation easements or other legal agreements for landowners interested in retaining ownership while conserving their land in perpetuity.

• Support KELT in community campaigns to raise funds to purchase a property of interest.

What We Protect

• Key wildlife habitat supporting biological diversity.

• Rivers, wetlands, marshes, bays and other waterways.

• Working farms.

• Forests.

• Public access for outdoor recreation.

• Aquaculture industry, supporting local economy. 

• Our regions traditions and history. 

• Space for outdoor learning and community building. 

• Healthy air and water.

Landowner Benefits

• Donation of land can qualify as a tax-deductible charitable gift.

• Granting a conservation easement may result in property tax savings.

• Leave a valuable legacy for future generations. 

This information doesn't constitute legal or tax advice, and we recommend that landowners consult with a tax advisor, estate planner, and attorney before proceeding with a charitable gift of land or a conservation easement.