History :

The Falmouth Conservation Trust is an independent 501 (c)3 nonprofit corporation, founded in 1980 to "preserve and protect enough farm and forest land, wildlife habitat, historic heritage and natural beauty to maintain Falmouth as an attractive place to work and live". The first property acquired by the Trust was a 47-acre parcel donated in 1981 by Dr. Donald and Lucille McCrann, located off of Falmouth Road along the east branch of the Piscataquis River.

The Trust's next acquisition was not until 1987 when a conservation easement was donated to the Trust by the developers of the Stormy Brook Subdivision. At that time there were only 300 acres of land permanently protected or conserved in Falmouth. Meanwhile, between 1985 and 1988 approximately 1,400 acres were developed in Falmouth, roughly 10% of the total acreage of Falmouth.

In 1988 the membership in the Falmouth Conservation Trust had grown to 132 members. The Trust accepted a conservation easement over the land at the Maine Audubon's Gilsland Farm. The Trust's three goals at the time were to "focus on advising and encouraging landowners to: 1) protect and conserve property; 2) to service a vehicle, to accept gifts of land whether in fee or easements; and 3) to advocate and cooperate with town officials for the protection of Falmouth's natural resources". Also in 1988 as a direct result of the Trust bringing a stronger land conservation voice to the Falmouth community, the Town established its first land bank fund of $90,000 for the acquisition of land. The speaker at the Trust's annual meeting in 1988 was Bill Vail, the Commissioner of the Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Department and Chair of the fledgling Land for Maine's Future Fund.

In 1990 a goal of the Trust was to establish a strong working relationship with the Falmouth Conservation Commission, a committee created that year by the Town Council. To that end the annual meeting included a panel discussion between the President of the Falmouth Conservation Trust and the Chair of the Falmouth Conservation Commission.

In 1991 the annual meeting included a presentation by Don Perkins and Joe Pane of the Friends of Casco Bay.

In 1992 the Trust acquired two additional conservation easements, one along Shoreline Drive, and one in connection with the Mitchell Wood subdivision. These two new acquisitions raised the Trust landholdings to 79 acres in fee and 92 acres in conservation easement. The annual meeting in 1992 featured a Saturday morning walk with the noted naturalist Sam Ristich at the Stormy Brook Subdivision property.

In 1994 the Trust was reorganized around three subcommittees, land acquisition, stewardship, and outreach. They set four goals: Provide orientation for new trustees, Improve community education concerning preservation and conservation, Actively steward land held by the Trust, and Manage that land effectively.

In 1995 the Falmouth Conservation Trust helped the Town purchase land at Wilshire Farms in West Falmouth. The 1995 annual meeting featured Jim Wescott of the National Turkey Federation as its speaker