Battery Steele an Easement Which Insured That 766-2570 Residents and Visitors
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Oceanside Conservation Trust of Casco Bay The mission of OCT is to facilitate the conservation of wild or undevel- Board of Directors oped open space, scenic areas, and 2009-2010 historic landmarks in the Casco Bay P.O. Box 10404 | Portland, Maine 04104 region and to foster low-impact and [email protected] | Tel. 207-699-2989 Roger Berle, President......................781-5331 Volume 6 Edition 2, November 2009 respectful access to these resources, 766-2827 Cliff Island as well as to enhance the cultural, Brenda Buchanan, Vice President.... 854-5824 Oceanside Conservation Trust economic,In andorder civic towell-being support of theIn work order toof support Oceanside the work Trust, of Oceanside I/we Trust, are sendingI/we are sendingthis contribution. this contribution. Jane Laughlin, Secretary.................. 799-9285 Battery Steele an easement which insured that 766-2570 residents and visitors. The Trust may Great Diamond Island MILITARY BEGINNINGS Battery Steele would remain Stephanie Weaver, Treasurer............ 761-4212 Cushing Island acquire, hold, and transfer interests in land, includingMembership easements, in Dues: order to $20.00Membership Dues: $20.00 forever undeveloped and open A.J. Alves......................................... 766-2423 Peaks Island Battery Steele is a 14-acre World War II shore to the public. Under PILP’s Mike Beaudoin................................. accomplish this mission and to assure 774-0522 Additional Gift: Additional Gift: fortification on the ocean side of Peaks Island. stewardship, the Battery is 766-3028 Cliff Island that a diversity of ecosystems will be Completed in 1942 and named for Colonel closed to cars (functional or Bob Bittenbender............................. 892-3818 available to future generations. In Harry Lee Steele, a coastal artillery officer addition, the Trust may hold chari- otherwise) but is in every other Erno Bonebakker.............................. 871-0048 in World War I, it protected the coast from table, cultural, and educational activi- way unchanged. The Battery 615-6664 Chebeague Island Name: Name: Kennebunk to Popham Beach. Battery Steele Priscilla Doucette............................. 772-5705 Little Diamond Island ties for the benefit of residents and became the cornerstone of an was armed with two 16” guns which could fire a Jeanne Gulnick..................................766-2601 Peaks Island visitors. Address: Address: ongoing effort by PILP and OCT Eric Handley .................................... 899-0027 (Adopted 10/24/96) projectile weighing as much as a Volkswagen 26 to preserve appropriate lands Michael Johnson............................... 232-5778 Long Island Seasonal Address: Seasonal Address: miles. Each gun was mounted in an enormous on Peaks Island for public use; this preserved land now amounts to Christine McDuffie.......................... 829-3231 concrete bunker, open to the east but protected about 20% of the island’s total acreage. 766-5277 Long Island by a projecting hemi-circular concrete roof. Harry R. Pringle................................774-0437 While maintaining the highest standards of stewardship and land Several hundred yards apart, NATURE RETURNS 766-3326 Little Diamond Island an underground concrete Advisory Board: management, OCT will become a Recently new visitors have come to Battery tunnel big enough for trucks Tom Bergh........................................ 766-2419 Peaks Island leader in coordinating and facilitating Steele. Over a dozen beavers in three to pass through connected Mark Greene..................................... 766-4440 Long Island land conservation efforts among lodges have raised the level of Trout Pond Eliza Cope Nolan............................. 772-5024 Cushing Island the two bunkers. Behind individuals, island organizations, and more than a foot and have caused flooding. John Whitman.................................. 766-2211 Peaks Island land trusts in Casco Bay. and beneath that tunnel were Wildlife experts consulted by PILP vast concrete magazines. The anticipate that the beavers will eventually entire installation was covered move on when the food supply dwindles. with earth and vegetation and Interestingly, their activities have attracted largely hidden from view. The more visits by mink, muskrat, frogs, blue crater formed by the removal Date Approximate herons, and black-crowned night herons. Property Location Owner Acquired Size of the earth became Trout your support. your your support. your Pond. Although U-boats did of Casco Bay welcomes welcomes Bay Casco of of Casco Bay welcomes welcomes Bay Casco of appear off the Maine coast and sank a ship off Cape Elizabeth in 1944, no German Navy What does Battery Steele mean to Peaks Islanders? Oceanside Conservation Trust Conservation Oceanside Oceanside Conservation Trust Conservation Oceanside surface ships ever crossed the Atlantic. Battery by John Whitman Steele’s guns were never fired in anger. Old- Battery Steele is important permanently protected. permanently permanently protected. permanently timers on Peaks recall, however, that when the to Peaks Islanders for guns were fired for practice, the whole island many reasons. It’s a place on Casco Bay Islands have been been have Islands Bay Casco on on Casco Bay Islands have been been have Islands Bay Casco on trembled. to take first-time island Since 1982, approximately 85 acres acres 85 approximately 1982, Since Since 1982, approximately 85 acres acres 85 approximately 1982, Since visitors and make them CIVILIAN TAKE-OVER walk through the pitch For fifty years following the end of World War black tunnel, hooting and II, generations of Peaks Island residents and hollering in Maine’s biggest visitors enjoyed Battery Steele as a strange echo chamber. It’s a place and wonderful – if untended – public park. to come to grips with the Others used it as a dumping ground for junk occasional grandeur and the cars and construction debris. In the 1970s ultimate horror of war. It’s a place where ever-changing graffiti mark and 1980s the property was owned by several the passage of island teenagers who partied there on summer nights. It’s non-profit organizations. In 1995 Battery a place to reflect that even a concrete monolith will eventually crumble Steele was again for sale. To prevent the loss of to death, but the tides will forever surge through Hussey Sound. It’s Permit No. 658 No. Permit Permit No. 658 No. Permit this unique public space, islanders formed a a place that will always belong to everyone who has lived on Peaks Portland, ME ME Portland, Portland, ME ME Portland, land trust called Peaks Island Land Preserve. Island since 1942 and to which we can always return to gaze out over PAID PAID A Herculean community effort raised enough the marsh toward Jewell Island, Outer Green, and – on a very clear U.S. Postage U.S. U.S. Postage U.S. money to buy Battery Steele. Unsure about day – the lighthouse on Sequin. PRSRT PRSRT the future of their new organization, PILP gave GRANTS for PNLTC GOALS Ferns at Echo Pond Oceanside Conservation 2009 Annual Meeting - Daveis Sanctuary New grant money will help Portland North OceansideTrust Conservation of Casco Bay The mission of OCT is to facilitate Land Trust Collaborative achieve its goals of Trust of Casco Bay The mission of OCT is to facilitate the conservation of wild or undevel- administrative efficiency, regional conservation Board of Directorsthe conservation of wild or undevel- oped open space, scenic areas, and planning, and accreditation preparation. Board of Directors2009-2010 oped open space, scenic areas, and historic landmarks in the Casco Bay PNLTC is an innovative partnership formed in 2009-2010 historic landmarks in the Casco Bay region and to foster low-impact and Roger Berle, President......................781-5331 region and to foster low-impact and respectful access to these resources, 2006 among Falmouth Land Trust, Chebeague Roger Berle, President......................781-5331 766-2827 Cliff Island respectful access to these resources, as well as to enhance the cultural, & Cumberland Land Trust, and Oceanside 766-2827 Cliff Island Brenda Buchanan, Vice President.... 854-5824as well as to enhance the cultural, Conservation Trust of Casco Bay. Brenda Buchanan, Vice President.... 854-5824 economic, and civic well-being of Jane Laughlin, Secretary.................. 799-9285economic, and civic well-being of Conservation Planning: Jane Laughlin, Secretary.................. 799-9285 residents and visitors. The Trust may With funding from 766-2570residents Great Diamondand visitors. Island The Trust may Stephanie Weaver, 766-2570Treasurer............ Great Diamond Island761-4212 acquire, hold, and transfer interests in the Margaret Burnham Charitable Trust and acquire,Cushing hold, Island and transfer interests in StephanieA.J. Weaver, Alves......................................... Treasurer............ 761-4212 Cushing Island 766-2423 Peaks Island land, including easements, in order to the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Program, the land, including easements, in order to A.J. Alves.........................................Mike Beaudoin.................................766-2423 Peaks Island 774-0522 accomplish this mission and to assure three trusts have collected information on the accomplish this mission and to assure Mike Beaudoin................................. 774-0522 766-3028 Cliff Island that a diversity of ecosystems will be significant natural and open areas in the region. that a diversity of ecosystems