BYRON – All the money needed to ensure the town’s purchase of Coos Canyon has been raised. And it took less than four weeks.
As of Monday, fundraising coordinator Patricia Duguay said $11,095 dollars had been raised. Just $10,000 was needed.
“I sensed there was a lot of support because a lot of people use it and would hate to lose it,” said Duguay on Monday.
Coos Canyon, located off Route 17 near Byron’s old schoolhouse and town office, has been a popular picnic area and gold-panning spot for people from throughout Maine and many parts of the rest of the country for decades. The Swift River flows through this scenic gorge in Oxford County, not far from the Franklin County line.
A celebration of the feat will take place at the annual town meeting March 13 to recognize everyone’s efforts to raise the money.
A few years ago, Selectman Steve Duguay started investigating the possibility of the town buying the nine acres surrounding the picturesque spot when a private developer wanted to buy it from Bayroot LLC. The land had previously been owned by paper companies.
About $70,000 of the $80,000 price tag was provided by Land for Maine’s Future and the Outdoor Heritage Fund. Another $5,000 grant was recently received to go toward the purchase.
Patricia Duguay said some money has yet to come in from raffle ticket sales and donation letter requests to landowners of camps around Garland Pond. Any money raised above the purchase price will go toward lawyer fees and costs associated with replacing picnic tables and other items. The raffle will go ahead as scheduled on Feb. 28; however, other planned fundraisers have been canceled.
The Maine Department of Transportation provides most of the maintenance for the site.
Selectmen had said an article would appear on the annual town meeting warrant to raise whatever amount was left toward the purchase price, if necessary. Now, that won’t have to happen.
“We all took a piece of this project. There was just so much support for it,” said Patricia Duguay.
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