Management Plan - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Figure III.6. The Laird-Norton Trail meanders through woodands, shrublands and fields.came in 1952 when the Laudholm Guernsey dairycow herd was dispersed at auction.In 1978 the people of Wells and the neighboringcommunities banded together to save LaudholmFarm. They created Laudholm Trust to prevent theproperty from being developed. Laudholm Trust,in partnership with NOAA, successfully purchasedand protected in 1986 the 240 acres of theLaudholm property, which included the historicbuildings.The acquisition by the Trust and NOAA added tothe conservation holdings of other organizations.In the 1960’s and 1970’s, hundreds of acres of adjacentmarsh and coastline were purchased by thefederal government for the Rachel Carson NationalWildlife Refuge. In 1967, the State of Maineacquired about 200 acres from the Lord family tobe managed for conservation and recreation by theMaine Department of Conservation (DOC). Allof the DOC land and about 1,100 acres of RachelCarson land that adjoins the Little River andWebhannet River estuaries were included in theReserve boundary when it was designated in 1984.The Laudholm Farm complex was entered upon theNational Register of Historic Places on October 20,1983, based upon its local significance. Many of thebuildings have been renovated and adapted to servethe core program functions of the NERR.More information on the history of the Reserveis found in Laudholm: The History of a CelebratedSaltwater Farm, by Joyce Butler.Community Growth and Land UseThe Wells Reserve is located in Maine’s fastestgrowingcounty. Significant population growthand second home development is altering the socialand ecological landscapes of Wells and most othercoastal towns in southern York County. RuralManagement Plan: Setting25