About QRLT

David Dowley, President of the Quoddy Regional Land Trust (QRLT) announced that the featured speaker at the Mowry Beach trail and boardwalk grand opening and diner on July 18 is Patrick K. McGowen, Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Conservation.

Governor John Baldacci appointed Patrick K. McGowan, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, in February 2003. The Department of Conservation is a natural resource agency whose bureaus oversee the management and protection of some of Maine's most special places: 17 million acres of forestland, 10.4 million acres of unorganized territory, 47 parks and historic sites and more than 825,000 acres of public reserved land. As Commissioner, has worked to encourage land conservation and economic development – working with conservation partners to protect more than 750,000 acres in the last four years. McGowan led the campaign to acquire Katahdin Lake for Baxter State Park – the Baldacci administration’s top conservation priority.

McGowan is a former small business owner in central Maine. He served for seven years as the Regional Administrator for the US Small Business Administration (SBA) in New England. McGowan was a 10-year member of the Maine House of Representatives, from 1980-1990. While in the Legislature, he was an original sponsor of the Land for Maine's Future legislation. Since its inception, Land for Maine’s Future has helped conserve more than 440,000 acres, and has helped projects in each of Maine’s 16 counties.

McGowan is a recipient of the Nature Conservancy Presidential Award for land preservation, the New England Wildlife Award for endangered species protection, and the New England Environmental Network Award for environmental legislation success.

McGowan is a 1976 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington. An avid pilot and fly fisherman, he is also a parachutist, having made more than 550 jumps. Commissioner McGowan has three children and lives in Hallowell.

The program will also feature Quoddy’s first Volunteer Of The Year Award and a legendary mystery speaker.

The 2100-foot Mowry beach trail features a handicap accessible 1700-foot boardwalk crossing many habitats and points of scenic views. The boardwalk is made up of 4 foot by 8-foot wooden sections, supporte3d where appropriate by dock floats.

The community is invited to the gala grand opening walk of the trail at 4:30 pm followed by a fish or corn chowder diner at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children under 12. There will be a vegetarian option available. Tickets can be purchased directly from QRLT by calling Alana Ranney, Administrative Assistant/Stewardship Coordinator, at 733 5509.

Since its start in 1987, the Quoddy Regional Land Trust has directly conserved, through ownership and conservation easements, over 2,800 acres and 22 miles of shorefront in eastern Washington County for the benefit of present and future generations. Anyone interested in donating funds to support our work should contact Alana at the QRLT office (733-5509) or e-mail qrlt@maineline.net. For more information about QRLT, visit their website at www.qrlt.org.

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May 27, 2008

Quoddy Regional Land Trust, Inc

PO Box 49

Whiting, ME 04691-0049

207 733 5509

www.qrit.org

Mowry Beach Press Release:

More information – call Alan Brooks, Quoddy Regional Land Trust Executive Director at 207 733 5509

On Friday, July 18, 2008 at 4:30 PM, the Officers and Trustees of the Quoddy Regional Land Trust (QRLT) will hold the official grand opening of the Mowry Beach Trail with a gala dinner at the Lubec Consolidated School.

This festive and educational event will be hosted by David Dowley, QRLT’s President, and will feature a chowder super (fish and corn) prepared by Ukey Santos, trustee and Mowry Beach Trail volunteer, prominent speakers including a mystery speaker, and Quoddy Regional Land Trust’s first volunteer of the year award.

QRLT purchased the 48-acre Mowry Beach property in 2004 thanks to the generosity of the Mowry family, Land for Maine’s Future funding and contributions from the Downeast Community. The property features 1,800 feet of sand beach, a small pond and stream, extensive scrub/shrub wetlands and a 2,100-foot handicapped-accessible trail of which 1,700 feet is a boardwalk. The trail and boardwalk connect the beach to the Lubec Consolidated School, with parking at both ends.

The boardwalk is made up of 4-foot by 8-foot wooden sections, which are supported by dock floats in the wettest areas. The walkway, which includes side rails for safe use of wheelchairs and frequent turn-outs for resting, offers views of the Lubec Narrows and the village of Lubec and traverses many of the property’s wildlife habitats.

The Mowry Beach Trail Project involved the students and staff of the Lubec Consolidate School, Victor Trafford who allowed the use of the former Booth Cannery as the warehouse and assembly area, Cobscook Community Learning Center staff, QRLT trustees and staff, Americorps volunteers, community volunteers, and the Maine Conservation Corps, who installed the boardwalk sections. Volunteers contributed approximately 700 hours to the project, whose total cost exceeded $70,000.

The community is invited to the gala, which will start with a walk of the trail at 4:30 p.m. followed by dinner and speakers at 5:30. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children under 12. There will be a vegetarian option available. Tickets can be purchased directly from QRLT by calling Alana Ranney, Administrative Assistant/Stewardship Coordinator, at 733-5509.

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March 15, 2007

The Quoddy Regional Land Trust received a gift of $5,000 from a generous donor that will be used to provide low-income children who reside in eastern Washington County a portion of the needed funds to attend Greenland Point Center.

April 21, 2006

For Immediate Release

Contact: Alana Preston, 733-5509

The Quoddy Regional Land Trust is excited to announce that it has been awarded a grant from the Maine Department of Conservation to support the development of a boardwalk trail at the Mowry Beach property, adjacent to Lubec Consolidated School. The trail will be used extensively by the students at the Lubec School for outdoor education use and will be fully handicapped accessible. QRLT would like to invite any interested community members to participate in trail planning and construction. Comments on a Mowry Beach management plan are also welcome and encouraged.

Thanks to the generous support of the Maine Community Foundation, the Cobscook Community Learning Center and the Quoddy Regional Land Trust will host a field trip on Saturday, May 20^th from 10:00 a.m. to noon, rain or shine, at Mowry Beach. Please bring your brown bag lunch and enjoy the beautiful views of the Lubec Narrows and Campobello Island after the field trip. Learn about the Mowry Beach trail project, history, ecology and conservation values. For more information contact Kara at the CCLC, 733-2233, or by email at <email>.

QRLT will also be holding a Mowry Beach community open house on Wednesday, May 24^th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Lubec Library. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and get input on the management of the property and the creation of the trail/boardwalk. Anyone with questions or with an interest in volunteering to help with this project may contact Alana at the QRLT at 733-5509 or by email at <email>.

The Mowry Beach property includes 48 acres and 1,800 feet of accessible sandy beach frontage located in Lubec between the Lubec Consolidated School and the shore. In 2004, QRLT acquired the property with assistance from the Land for Maine’s Future program, the Mowry family and the local community. QRLT would like to involve the community and the school in management planning and stewardship of the property. Mowry Beach is available for low-impact recreational use and educational activities, and is open to the public for low impact foot traffic during daylight hours.

Quoddy Regional Land Trust

PO Box 49

Whiting, ME 04691

(207) 733-5509