POLAND – A committee of dedicated volunteers recently published a water quality management plan for the Tripp Lake Watershed. Property owners in Poland, members of the Tripp Lake Improvement Association and municipal officials helped bring the plan to completion.

Roberta Hill of Lake and Watershed Resource Management Associates wrote the plan, and staff from the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection provided guidance.

Over the course of almost two years, the committee sought input about community concerns and recommended actions through surveys and public meetings. The resulting strategy encourages wide participation in implementing the management plan and can be converted into action.

The plan includes cultural and historical information about the area as well as natural resource data, relevant state and local ordinances, maps and statistics on local population growth. The plan will be introduced to the public at Poland Community Day on Sept. 11.

The planning project was funded by a grant from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with additional funds provided by the Tripp Lake Improvement Association.

For more information, contact the Androscoggin Valley Conservation District at 753-9400, ext. 400.