REGION — The White Mountain National Forest  is in discussions for the potential addition of a 700-acre tract of land adjacent to the forest in Albany that would enhance recreational resources and protect wildlife and the Crooked River watershed, according to acquisition supporters.

The parcel, owned by a family company, Penley & Mills, Inc., shares about 10,000 feet of boundary with current WMNF lands, and has 3,550 feet of frontage on the Patte Brook Road and 1,120 feet on the section of the Old West Bethel Road that is maintained by Oxford County, according to information provided by members of the Albany Improvement Association.

Albany is a township, not a town, so there is no local government entity within its boundaries. The AIA is a citizen organization that works on projects for the betterment of the township.

Earlier this summer WMNF District Ranger Josh Sjostrom met with AIA officers and other residents to gauge interest in the possible land acquisition. WMNF has indicated that letters of support from Albany residents and property owners would be helpful in supporting an acquisition process. Bob O’Brien, AIA president, is spearheading the circulation of such a letter among Albany residents for signatures. He described the benefits acquisition of the land would bring. Among them:

•  Permanent pedestrian public access including walking, hiking, running, skiing, snowshoeing, and hunting and fishing;

•   52.5 acres of freshwater wetlands;

•  2.8 miles of wild brook trout habitat, including 0.8 miles on Walker Brook and 1.0 miles on Patte Brook;

•  Significant sections of snowmobile trails maintained by local snowmobile clubs, including a primary snowmobile trail corridor that connects Western Maine to Gorham NH (a route that can not be re-routed);

•  73.2 acres of inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat;

•  125 acres rare species habitat identified by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries &Wildlife;

•  48 acres of soils listed as “farmland of statewide importance;”

•  387 acres identified by Sebago Clean Waters and Portland Water District as priority parcel for protecting water quality for 200,000 households;

•  Scenic forested road frontage, including 3,550’ on Patte Brook Road and roughly 1,120 on the county-maintained section of Old West Bethel Road.

“From my perspective, conserving that 700-acre parcel will help increase the protection of the Crooked River Watershed, a valuable asset to Albany Township,” O’Brien said.

He noted in the letter that if the land is acquired, Maine would continue to receive revenue from it in the form of payments in lieu of taxes, a long-time practice of the WMNF.

Also noted was that Penley & Mills recently sold some nearby land, but was willing to keep out of that sale the tract adjacent to WMNF. O’Brien wrote that the company had “practiced responsible timber management for many generations, and had also allowed the use of their lands for public access, for such uses as snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, snowshoeing and hiking.”

Discussions between the landowner and the national forest were facilitated by Mahoosuc Land Trust, The Conservation Fund, and Sebago Clean Waters, a partnership of non-profits which works to protect water quality and other important values in the Sebago Lake watershed through voluntary forestland conservation, according to the Mahoosuc Land Trust.

The WMNF point person for the project was not available before press time for more detail on the project. Additional information is available from Kirk Siegel at Mahoosuc Land Trust (kirk@mahoosuc.org) or O’Brien (robrien@bbns.org).