CANTON – Land for Maine’s Future directors are expected to discuss a request Tuesday to reimburse nearly $40,000 to a state department.

Last fall, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife bought 52 acres of land and shore front on the Androscoggin River at the upper end of the impoundment at Riley Dam, which is part of the International Paper facility in Livermore Falls.

Land for Maine’s Future Director Tim Glidden said the department’s initial intent was to buy 1,300 feet of shore frontage to build a public boat launch site. But the landowner wanted to sell the shore frontage and its 52-acre plot as one.

So, the department “bought the entire parcel anticipating they would come to us for partial reimbursement. We do this sometimes if a project is not too old,” Glidden said.

Department officials, who for several years had been searching for suitable property, settled on the site because a portion of the shore is well-protected from river ice.

Initially the launch is expected to be a carry-in, takeout boat site.

Building the site on the Canton side of the river would reduce the necessity of traveling 12 miles, which is the distance from Harvey Brook and Riley Dam to the carry access site, Glidden said.

“The Riley impoundment is an excellent smallmouth bass fishery, and the land deal would provide anglers additional access to 600 acres of surface waters,” he added.

Construction on the boat launch facility, for which funding would still need to be sought, is not expected to begin until 2005.

Apart from the facility, the 52 acres is to be turned into a wildlife management area.

Public comment on the project is to be accepted only at the board’s meeting from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, at the Pine Tree State Arboretum on Stone Street in Augusta.

It was on last month’s meeting agenda initially, but directors had to postpone the discussion to April, because the board never got to the item.
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