This scenic vista will be accessible to the public if the open space of Highland Farm is preserved. Voters have a chance to assist in the effort of the York Land Trust and its partners to purchase and protect the land by supporting Article 68 on the May ballot.
Courtesy photo
The Highland Farm property is delineated on the map seen here.
Courtesy photo
YORK - For centuries, Highland Farm has stood as a link to the town's history with its mix of fields, forest and historic sites bordering the picturesque Boulter Pond.
However, the Highland Farm property has always been in private ownership - first the homestead of the Junkins family from the 1600s through 1900, transitioning a few decades later to the site of a manor house, which still stands and has recently be renovated, and later to a private golf course.
The most recent turn in the history of this property, following its purchase at auction, was a plan to develop the 151 acres surrounding the manor house and its grounds into 37 new house lots. Concern about the impact of that development on the wildlife, water quality and sensitive nature of this area prompted the York Land Trust and its partner organizations of the Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative to enter into negotiations with the property's owner in the hope of forever preserving those acres.
In Article 68 on the May warrant, local voters have the opportunity to approve the expenditure of $500,000 in matching funds from the town to assist the York Land Trust in its purchase of the $2.7 million property. The $500,000 contribution will be leveraged to help raise the remaining funds through the Highland Farm Conservation Campaign, which includes public and private funding sources, and has already received significant commitments from donors.
If the effort is successful, the result will be public access to this gateway to the Agamenticus region as well as protection for wildlife and Boulter Pond, which is a key water supply for York, Kittery and Eliot residents.
Standing at the edge of the Highland Farm fields on a sunny spring morning, there is a stillness broken only by the movement of birds taking wing and breezes through the grasses and trees.
"This is the missing piece of the puzzle," explained York Land Trust Executive Director Doreen MacGillis during a recent walk of the property's boundary. "At last we'll have joined Mount A to the Sea."
Wolfe Tone, project manager from the Land Trust's partner organization, The Trust of Public Land, agreed.
"This property really stands out," he said.
The open space at Highland Farm includes panoramic views of the York River's upper reaches, unbroken forests that meld into acres currently preserved as part of Mount Agamenticus to the Sea, a colonial-era cemetery and other indication's of York's past and, of course, land along Boulter pond, which is not only a major drinking water supply but also provides habitat for rare and endangered species.
"The diversity of habitat here is so important," Tone said of the property, with acres of shrubby thickets that provide a perfect home for Maine's endangered New England cottontail rabbit as well as woodland nesting habitat for the endangered Eastern box, Blanding's and spotted turtles.
The York Land Trust's description parcel's historic value states, "Highland Farm's long history mirrors, in many ways, the rich history of York. Stone walls, a centuries-old cemetery and a cellar hole are just some of the historic remnants that can be found at Highland Farm. Its history and prominence demonstrate the special character of a region that is among York's most beautiful and least developed."
Looking to the future of the parcel, if the preservation effort is successful, MacGillis and Tone said plans include passive recreational uses that would allow visitors to walk all the way from the headwaters of the York River to Mount Agamenticus on preserved lands. The land will be open for cross-country skiing in the winter as well as bird-watching and other such low-impact activities throughout the year. Highland Farm also offers stunning views of the river watershed, as well as a chance to glimpse the pristine beauty of Boulter Pond.
When it comes to preserving this parcel, local officials and the York Land Trust agree there is no time to waste.
As York Land Trust President Karen Arsenault put it, "If we don't act now, the current owner of Highland Farm will develop his cluster subdivision of 12 houses, for which he has permits in hand, and will continue his process for approvals on a second subdivision of 25 house lots on the back acreage, three of which would drain into Boulter Pond, with the remaining lots draining toward the York River."
The $500,000 funding request has won the unanimous support of both the Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee.
"This is a great opportunity to secure a big piece of land that is very vital to the Agamenticus to the Sea Initiative," said Board of Selectmen Chairman Mike Estes.
And when it comes to this year's capital funding requests, he said, "It is as high a priority as all of them."
For more information about the Campaign for Highland Farm, visit www.yorklandtrust.org and click on "Save the Land at Highland Farm."
