Conservation Commission
OHCC MISSION STATEMENT
The Owls Head Conservation Commission (OHCC) seeks to preserve and protect the natural resources of Owls Head and to advise, educate, and make recommendations to its residents and to the town’s governing bodies. The Commission works to create opportunities for residents to interact with the natural world, thus fostering life-long stewardship in retaining the natural beauty of Owls Head for future generations.
Read the Maine statute regarding conservation commission duties and powers: MRSA
MEMBERS
Kathryn DerMarderosian
Beth Long
Stuart Rich
Lauren Swartzbaugh
Robin White
MEETINGS
The next meeting is scheduled for April 09, 2024, @ 5 pm. All meetings are now being held at the Owls Head Conference Room at the Town Office. All are welcome.
CONTACT US
conservationcommittee@owlshead.maine.gov
News, Events, and Links
What to do if you come across WILDLIFE that you think is orphaned, sick, or injured?
- Visit the State Fish and Wildlife Service for recommendations and resources.
PLAISTED PRESERVE EXPANDS. Plaisted Preserve now includes an additional 7+ acres, which features an interior wetland surrounded by ferns, mosses, and mixed hardwood trees. The land was purchased by the Town on September 30, 2022, with donations from friends and neighbors and matching funds from Land for Maine’s Future. The new parcel is now included in the original easement held by Georges River Land Trust, which assures that the eighteen-acre property will remain protected in our time and for future generations.The OHCC wishes to thank the many generous supporters of the expansion project and also wishes to acknowledge the grant received from Land for Maine’s Future. The remaining donations will be used for ongoing maintenance projects and signage within the preserve.
Come and walk the trails, enjoy community events, or join a work party. Volunteers are always welcome!
SEA LEVEL RISE AND FLOOD RESILIENCE PLANNING FOR THE TOWN OF OWLS HEAD
As an advisory body for the town’s Select Board, the Owls Head Conservation Commission (OHCC) has been gathering information and looking into resources available to assist in developing an understanding of our town’s vulnerability to sea level rise. The state, county, and several nonprofit organizations such as Island Institute have resources to assist us. Several other coastal towns are working on a similar process.
An informational meeting for the entire community was held in July 2021, to better understand the areas of the town which may be significantly impacted over the coming years. Knox County has assisted us in providing interactive maps of Owls Head with varying levels of sea level rise (click to access), or with storm surge levels associated with hurricanes. In addition, there is a second tab which has the Maine Climate Council’s recent reports. An understanding of this information will help the town develop plans to address flooding resilience with practical measures such as emergency vehicle access.
The interactive maps have menu buttons that allow one to select sea level heights (with the highest astronomical tide of 2018 as a baseline). It takes a minute for each layer to be plotted, so it’s best not to select multiple layers at once. Feel free to explore the County’s interactive maps to see how sea level rise and storm surge can affect your neighborhood!
Maine Association of Conservation Commissions is committed to connecting communities and to the waters, woods, and wildlife of Maine. Explore their website to learn what their members are doing to make their towns a better place for all. MACC is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping members educate, advise and organize.
Maine Conservation Voters cultivates and uses political power to conserve and protect Maine’s environment. MCV helps pass laws that protect our environmental legacy, elects pro-environment candidates to office, and holds our elected officials accountable, without regard to political party.
Parks – Public Lands – Water Access – Hiking/Walking Trails
- The sites described here can be located by number on the map below.
- Unless otherwise noted, all sites listed are property of the Town of Owls Head.
- Properties described as “street-end” (4, 8, 9, 10, and 12) have limited to no parking. Please respect abutting neighbors’ property and privacy.
- “Beach” in Maine is an elusive term–most beaches in the mid-coast are rocky, rarely sandy, and walkability is dependent on tidal variation. By Maine law, shore property owners may prohibit access to the adjacent intertidal areas, except for “fishing and fowling”.
- All properties are likely to have a significant tick population, so it’s best to remain on established trails. Wearing light colors, tucking in shirts and socks, using insect repellent, and checking your body during and after spending time on these sites will help to minimize the likelihood of infection with Lyme or other tick-borne diseases.
DOWNLOAD MAP
| 1. Ash Island 47-acre island with a rocky shoreline and views of Mussel Ridge Channel and islands; accessible only by water, The closest launch site is at Birch Point State Park (see below) with ample parking. For More Information (FMI): Ash Island (Maine Coast Heritage Trust). |  |
| 2. Ash Point (Trails End) Water access at the end of Ash Point Drive with views of Ash Island and Mussel Ridge Channel, approximately 100’ wide with parking for 3-4 cars. |  |
3. Ash Point Preserve 34-acre preserve with trails through coastal forest to 2,140’ granite shoreline; parking for several cars in the lot off Ash Point Drive. FMI: Ash Point Preserve (Georges River Land Trust). |
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| 4. Ballyhac Road Water access at the road end, limited/no parking. |  |
| 5. Birch Point State Park is State-owned with an admission fee in summer, and closed in winter months. Entrance off Ballyhac Road; sandy beach and picnic tables with expansive views of Mussel Ridge Channel and islands. Parking for 20-30 cars. FMI: Birch Point State Park. |  |
| 6. Crescent Beach Public access approximately 70’ wide to a large pebble beach on Mussel Ridge Channel; parking for 6-10 cars is located at the end of Crescent Beach Road. |  |
| 7. Crocketts Beach Public access to a short rocky/sand beach at the end of Crocketts Beach Road; views of Mussel Ridge Channel; limited parking. |  |
| 8. Harborside Terrace Street-end water view of Rockland Harbor, road-width wide, with limited parking. |  |
| 9. Knowlton Avenue Street-end water access to Rockland Harbor; limited/no parking. |  |
| 10. Knowlton Place Street-end access with views of Rockland Harbor and bay; no parking. |  |
| 11. Monroe Island 225-acre island with hiking trails and 2 camp-sites; 5 freshwater ponds, forest, bold rocky shoreline with views of Penobscot Bay and islands; access only by water, closest launch site at the foot of Main Street with public parking in adjacent Owls Head Harbor Park. FMI: Monroe Island–Owls Head (Maine Coast Heritage Trust). |  |
| 12. Ocean Avenue Street-end access; road-width space with a path to water; parking for two small cars |  |
| 13. Owls Head Harbor Park (Carver Park) waterfront park of 3 acres with a pebbly beach, wetlands, and a walking path through a meadow to the freshwater pond; an ADA-compliant pier was recently completed, providing water access for small craft; ample parking in the lot off Lighthouse Road with additional spaces in the lot next to pier accessed from Main and Wharf Streets. |
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| 14. Owls Head Light State Park Located at the end of Lighthouse Road; lighthouse and keeper’s house are Federal property maintained by Friends of Rockland Harbor Lights, while the light itself is maintained by the US Coast Guard; both the light and the keeper’s house are accessible to the public; shoreline is mostly steep and rocky with some pebbly beaches; ample parking with lighthouse a few-minute-walk away FMI: Tour Owls Head Light. |
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| 15. Plaisted Preserve Seventeen+-acre property off North Shore Drive near the fire station, with 1/2 mile of trails through spruce forest and beds of moss and ferns; water access to Broad Cove; parking for 4-5 cars. Purchased in part with funds from Land for Maine’s Future, protected by George’s River Land Trust and owned by the Town of Owls Head. |
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