By Renee Worthing
Staff Writer
The town of Sanford, the Sanford Sewerage District and the Sanford Water District have agreed to cooperate in developing a single forest management plan, earning a $10,000 Project Canopy grant from the Maine Forest Service.
According to the program’s Web site, Project Canopy is a cooperative effort of the Maine Forest Service and the Pine Tree State Arboretum to connect people with tree expertise to people in need of that knowledge.
Lee Burnett, Sanford’s grant writer, said the funds will be used to transform about 900 acres of woods into several parcels of community forest.
The town owns about 464 wooded acres south of the Sanford Regional Airport, the Sanford Sewerage District owns about 268 wooded acres and the Sanford Water District owns 236 acres in five different parcels, Burnett said.
“The forests are doing their job protecting the ground water and cleaning the air, but the forests could be improved to grow larger trees and certain habitats could be created to protect wildlife,” Burnett said.
He said the water district hopes to improve water quality on the parcels of land they own and would limit public access, while the sewerage district hopes to provide low-impact recreational and walking trails on about 200 acres of land in south Sanford.
Sanford Water District Assistant Superintendent David Parent said the water district has never participated in a forestry plan.
“Hopefully, we can create some recreational uses like trails,” Parent said. “We need to look at whether we think it’s a great idea.”
 According to the grant application, the sewer district originally acquired 450 acres to ensure there would be room to expand its aerated lagoon treatment system. However, the sewer district converted to an oxidation treatment system in 2005, which requires less land. The lagoons have become a magnet for migratory shorebirds and the Maine Audubon Society sponsors regular outings to the lagoons.
Burnett said the Sanford Trail Development and Urban Forestry Committee would like to connect existing trails to the newly managed forests.
Sanford High School Vocational Teacher Aaron Stam is also interested in expanding the environmental science class to include a forestry component in a parcel of land near the high school, Burnett said.
He said the forests abut other large parcels of land, which border Wells and Kennebunk. He said Wells and Kennebunk are potential partners in protecting the woods and water, Branch Brook.
According to the grant application, the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 2,200-acre research, education and recreational facility in Wells, will work with Sanford to develop a conservation plan for the town and the headwaters of the five river systems originating in town.
Burnett said the Canopy Project is not a land trust and does not offer protection from future growth and development.
 ‘The interest of the water and sewer company is to keep and maintain the land long-term,” Burnett said.
Burnett said the grant is a 50/50 match that could potentially be worth $20,000 with in-kind contributions.
He said he would like to hire a forester to perform an inventory of the entire 900-acre forest and create a management plan.
“A forester would count the trees, look at the habitats and consider the assets of the forest,” he said.
A list of recommendations to manage the woods would be prepared by the forester.
He said the forests could also generate revenue from sustainable harvesting.
Money earned from harvesting would go the entity managing the forest, Burnett said.
He said a bid for proposals for a forester may go out this summer, but first the water and sewer district and town needed to “get together and nail down goals.”