POINT LOOKOUT AND COASTAL MOUNTAINS LAND TRUST EXPAND PERMANENT PROTECTION OF KNIGHTS POND

Northport, Maine - Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center and Coastal Mountains Land Trust have completed a conservation easement that takes a significant step towards the permanent protection of the entirety of Knights Pond in Northport. By working with the Land Trust to conserve one of the few remaining properties on Knights Pond yet to be permanently protected, Point Lookout has generously agreed to allow this pristine 3.1-acre property to remain an important upland and shoreline habitat for a broad range of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and plants.

Carolyn Reckman, Managing Director of athena Point Lookout LLC expressed the organization's enthusiasm for this continued partnership:  We are thrilled to support the further conservation of Knights Pond.  Preserving the natural character of this area is an important priority for us, as it is one of the most compelling reasons our guests are attracted to Point Lookout.  And we consider this partnership to be an important investment in the rich legacy of the ecosystem of the area.

The agreement, which allows Point Lookout to continue to provide recreational access to the pond for its guests, guarantees the scenic protection of an additional 1,232 feet of shorefront. The protected property is highly visible from the town of Northport's public boat launch site on Knights Pond and is immediately adjacent to an additional 160.45 acres of Point Lookout property that is already protected by a conservation easement held by the Land Trust.

As one of the region's few remaining undeveloped ponds, Knights Pond and the uplands which surround it have long been considered a priority area for conservation efforts by numerous partnering organizations and state agencies. The relatively remote pond is known to host a broad range of wildlife species including deer, moose and bear. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has identified many important ecological values near the pond, including the occurrence of a rare dragonfly Ebony Boghaunter (Williamsonia fletcheri). In addition, the protected property is also immediately adjacent to a large deer wintering area identified by the state. Recent versions of the Town of Northport's Comprehensive Plan have promoted protection around Knights Pond in order to safeguard water quality and designate the pond as a special natural area.

Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center is a 396-acre facility located on the southeast face of Ducktrap Mountain overlooking Penobscott Bay in Northport and Lincolnville.  Purchased in 2011 by athenahealth, Inc. as a center for collaboration and creative problem-solving, it is also deeply committed to a healthy and active Maine woods experience for visitors and guests.  It is the largest meeting and conference center in Maine, supported by 106 cabins, a variety of recreational and team building activities such as ropes courses, disk golf, and kayaking, and includes a working organic farm that continues a local history of deep respect for the natural environment.   To learn more about Point Lookout, visit www.visitpointlookout.com.

Coastal Mountains Land Trust permanently conserves land to benefit the natural and human communities of western Penobscot Bay.  In its 27th year, the 9,182 acres of land it has conserved host 30 miles of trails and protect biological diversity, water resources, productive farms and forests, and scenic landscapes essential to our quality of place.  To learn more about the Land Trust and the Bald and Ragged Mountains Campaign, visit www.coastalmountains.org or call (207) 236-7091.