Efforts by The Nature Conservancy involve more than habitat protection

Maine’s outstanding outdoor environment is a significant part of the quality of life we cherish here in the Androscoggin Valley, and a significant factor in our local and state economies.

Businesses in the Lewiston-Auburn area, along with the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce have consistently recognized this fact and know steps must be taken to preserve our state’s quality places. I commend The Nature Conservancy of Maine for working with business leaders to protect the treasured natural resources of our state and our world through a strategic and balanced approach.

The conservancy’s Corporate Conservation Council of Maine includes more than 90 companies throughout Maine who work collaboratively to reach common ground to benefit Maine’s outdoors and the economy.

The chamber and area businesses have advocated for the health of Lewiston-Auburn’s environment by promoting policies to improve water quality of the Androscoggin River and supporting the Land for Maine’s Future program.

The Brookings Institution report, “Charting Maine’s Future,” was released at the Bates Mill in Lewiston, which demonstrated the value our communities place on smart growth initiatives. Protecting Maine’s brand as a quality place to live and do business is a topic that brings many ideas and opinions to the table, but it is the ability to find consensus that will keep our economy moving forward.

The Nature Conservancy recognizes the synergy between conservation and the economy. Over the past 50 years, the conservancy has worked with partners to protect more than 1 million acres in Maine. Many of these areas are managed as working forests, farmlands, recreation lands, and open shorelines, all of which make our state a healthy and economically viable place to live and work.

The conservancy is much more than a habitat preservation organization. Through a science-based, innovative approach, it is tackling emerging global issues such as climate change, marine conservation, and large-scale forest preservation that affect the environment in Maine and beyond.

The group’s involvement with the $50 million Katahdin Forest Project is a prime example. When presented with an opportunity to protect 241,000 acres of our northern forests, the conservancy became the first conservation organization in the country to finance a paper company’s mortgage in exchange for land protection.

The conservancy then used “New Markets” tax credits to attract new investment in the mills. This was one of the first uses of this tax break to benefit both a community and conservation, and the project has become a model for conservation work throughout the country. These innovative strategies retained jobs for local workers in Millinocket while conserving precious wildlife habitats for future generations to enjoy and cherish.

The conservancy works with individuals, businesses, and nonprofits across the state to address environmental and economic issues that will make for a better tomorrow. As a partner in the Penobscot River Restoration Project, the conservancy is working to remove or bypass three dams along that river – with tremendous ecological benefits for migratory fish and economic benefits for recreational paddling and fishing on the Penobscot.

The conservancy is also supporting the Riverfront Community Development Bond, which if passed this fall, will benefit communities along the Penobscot and other rivers with riverside improvement projects, such as those we plan here in the Androscoggin Valley.

I encourage local businesses to invest in the work of the conservancy by joining the Corporate Conservation Council of Maine. This council offers a meaningful and responsible way to contribute to the natural character and the quality of life of Maine and our world.

Barbara Trafton is a Realtor and a former state senator. She serves on the board of The Nature Conservancy and is a steering committee member of the Corporate Conservation Council of Maine.