Saco Middle School students asking city for help with funding for land conservation

SACO — Local middle school students are asking the city for assistance in acquiring property for land conservation.

Eighth graders at Saco Middle School began a project last school year to acquire a piece of conservation land. With the help of Saco Valley Land Trust, they selected an 8-acre parcel at 4 Grace Lane which is located next to two properties owned by the trust.

“This property runs along Grace Lane and includes beautiful wildlife and even the ever alluring Nonesuch River. This stunning property is the downright perfect place to build a trail,” wrote student Abigail Lizotte in a letter to the city.

The group needs to raise $70,000 by December to purchase the property. They have raised $15,000 so far. 

The students have raised the money through fundraising and grants. Some events the middle schoolers had planned were canceled due to COVID-19, and it is uncertain whether events planned for fall will be able to be held, said Abigail in her letter

“I have devoted many hours to this project and care deeply that it becomes a reality, and I know that other people feel the same. This project is like a rainbow in a storm for me and I can't even fathom this property not being conserved as it's so direly important,” said Abigail.

The students are requesting the city’s help to reach their goal by giving the remaining $55,000 from the city’s Open Space Fund.

The city’s Open Space Fund is used for the acquisition of land or conservation easements for undeveloped open space and the development of these parcels to facilitate use as open space. Money for the fund comes from impact fees for new residential development.

The City Council will discuss the student’s request at it’s Monday night meeting, which will be live-streamed on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. For more information on how to log into the meeting, go to sacomaine.org/watchmeetings.

“Saco’s community has grown greatly throughout my lifetime. This is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but there are negative aspects to this that many have overlooked. As our city becomes bigger and bigger our natural land gets smaller and smaller. Our natural land is important,” wrote student Gianna Palleschi in a letter to the city council.

The City Council on Monday will also vote whether to endorse a resolution declaring a climate emergency and an emergency mobilization effort to restore a safe climate. The resolution is based on a proposal sent to the city by Saco Middle School students and the proposed document represents a culmination of work by the students, the city’s Energy Committee and the Conservation Commission.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].