KITTERY LAND TRUST PROPERTIES

The Patten property was conserved through a conservation easement from the town of Kittery in December 2006. The land is owned by the Town of Kittery and stewarded by the Kittery Land Trust. Located at the end of Norton Road, it consists of approximately 86 acres of woods and wetlands.

The property adjoins that donated by Grace Frawley and Charles Lynch, as well as that purchased from Janice Armstrong, forming a block of 200 acres, the largest block of conserved natural area open to the public in Kittery, outside the Rachel Carson Preserve.

The land was purchased by the Kittery Land Trust at a below-market price from George and Juliana Patten, who have lived adjacent to the property for more than 30 years. In 2004, the Pattens bought the property themselves to keep it from being developed and approached KLT to discuss conservation options. KLT had been eyeing the parcel for many years, since it sits squarely between the three other parcels owned by the Trust.

KLT worked with its partners in the Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative (MtA2C) to explore conservation opportunities with the Pattens. The best option, it was determined, was to seek funds from the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP), a federal grant program administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CELCP is an effort to protect important coastal and estuarine areas in the nation's coastal zone communities that have significant conservation, recreation, ecological, or aesthetic values.

In 2005, the Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Initiative was awarded a CELCP grant totaling nearly $1 million for three projects, which included the Patten parcel. Maine's Congressional delegation was instrumental in helping to secure the federal funds. $326,000 of CELCP funding was used to help buy the Patten Property, and an additional $100,000 was raised by private donations to MtA2C.

There is an extensive trail network through these properties, so it is now possible to walk from Bartlett to Norton Road on property owned or managed by KLT. On July 12, 2008, we cleaned up mostly metal car parts and appliances using Charlie Bourdages's big dump truck, and others offered their ATVs and tractors. It was one big sandbox full of Tonka toys out there.

The Stewardship Committee is working on a management plan for the property. When complete, the plan will be included on this page.

Shown below are pictures from a walk done in January 2006 to become familiar with the property. The walk was led by KLT board member Rob Nichols, chair of the Acquisitions Committee, who was instrumental in working with the Pattens to conserve the property. On a cold morning, about 20 people joined the walk to explore this latest addition to Kittery's open space.

If you are visiting the property to walk on the trails, please park on the left shoulder of Norton Road, before where the three driveways come together at the end of Norton Road. If you continue past that point, you are on private property. In addition, please do not block the mailboxes along the road. The property owners appreciate your cooperation.

Click on any image for a larger picture.

Trail near the Pattens' house	Starting out on the walk
Woods in the Patten property	Woods and wetlands