WINTHROP — Monmouth residents John and Lisa Rosmarin have helped Kennebec Land Trust reach the 5,630 acres conserved mark with their donation of the 342-acre Rosmarin and Saunders Family Forest in Readfield on Nov. 16.

Located off of the Nickerson Hill Road in Readfield, the Saunders and Rosmarin Family Forest will be a demonstration site for sustainable forestry and will be managed to protect wildlife habitat and water quality and for low impact outdoor recreation. The southern boundary of the property is close to KLT’s Macdonald Woods Conservation Area and the Readfield Town Forest.

This extensive conservation property, with mixed woodlands, streams and wetlands, was formerly owned by Saunders Manufacturing Co. Inc., which was founded in 1947 by A.H. Saunders and his son Joseph Saunders.

Through the years, the company accumulated various contiguous tracts of land on either side of Nickerson Hill Road. The manufacturing facility was located next to the family home, which was built in the early 1800s, thus leaving the extensive acreage largely undeveloped and available for use by the family, employees, friends and residents of the area. The hilly, wooded property has been used year round for hunting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and hiking.

John Rosmarin joined the company in 1982. He and Walter Belden became partners in the business in the early 1990s, and in 2005, Rosmarin and his daughters, Kelly Byron and Karrie Lykins, bought the interests of the remaining shareholders. The company was sold in 2016 and 342 acres were kept by the Rosmarin family. The Rosmarins recently noted, “we are proud to continue Joe Saunders’s rich tradition of giving back to the community. We know that the KLT will do a fantastic job of protecting the land for future generations.”

Mary Denison, president of the KLT board of directors recently stated, “we are so grateful to the Rosmarin family for donating this remarkable addition to publically accessible conservation land in Kennebec County. My neighbors and I are already planning our first ski outing on this land as soon as the snow flies.”

A property dedication will be held in 2017. Hikers, skiers, and snowshoers can access the property by parking at a small parking area west of Saunders Manufacturing on Nickerson Hill Road. KLT’s staff, summer interns and volunteers will be developing a trail system with assistance from the Readfield Trails Committee.

Most of Kennebec Land Trust properties are open to the public for hiking, outdoor recreation, nature observation and hunting.

FMI: 207-377-2848, www.tklt.org.