Frequently Asked Questions

A land trust or land conservancy is a community-based, nonprofit organization that actively works to permanently conserve land. In some cases, land trusts acquire land outright. They also partner to conserve land that remains the property of willing landowners using a tool called a conservation easement. Land trusts also manage or restore land once it has been conserved.

Land trusts can be local, state or regional in scope, working directly with private landowners and community partners to protect land that has natural, recreational, scenic, historical or agricultural values. Land trusts work in 93 percent of U.S. counties — serving urban, suburban and rural communities. Land trusts can be all-volunteer or made up of a volunteer board of directors and paid staff that represent a diversity of skills and experience in conservation and carry out the day-to-day activities of running a land trust.

Royal River Conservation Trust is the only organization focusing exclusively on conserving land across the communities of the Royal River watershed. Check out Who We Are to learn more!

The Royal River watershed is comprised primarily of seven municipalities: Auburn, Durham, Gary, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Pownal, and Yarmouth. Portions of Brunswick, Freeport, Poland, and Raymond also fall within the Royal watershed.

RRCT serves as a catalyst for land conservation in the watershed by engaging landowners, government officials, community members, businesses, local, regional, and state non-profits, and others to protect, steward, and restore the Royal River watershed.

Most RRCT signs within the watershed are associated with RRCT preserves and trails. All RRCT preserves and trails are open to the public free of charge and provide opportunities for recreation, respite, and more. You’ll also see an RRCT sign in front of our 52 North Road, Yarmouth office. Please visit any time.

RRCT has protected 6,020 acres of land including 1,120 acres in 16 Trust-owned preserves and 2,010 acres through 62 Trust-held conservation easements – and is actively pursuing new projects to add to these totals.  RRCT has assisted with the creation or expansion of 18 municipal and state parks, preserves, and wildlife areas totaling 2,890 acres. The Trust actively manages over 7 miles of Royal River shoreline and 25 miles of hiking trails within the watershed.

The Trust’s future goals appear in its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and 2022 Conservation Plan. We achieved our top-line goals of protecting a total of 6,000 acres in 2024. We continue our work to increase access to the outdoors for everyone.

Royal River Conservation Trust stands firmly for the restoration of the Royal River to a free-running stream by the removal of both the Bridge Street dam and the East Elm Street dam in Yarmouth.

RRCT has a small professional staff and relies on active volunteers and generous philanthropic support to execute upon its mission to protect the natural, recreational, scenic, agricultural, and historic resources of the Royal River region for current and future generations. Check out our Volunteer page to learn more! RRCT is funded almost entirely by philanthropic gifts. Learn more on how to make a gift here!

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Your gift to Royal River Conservation Trust protects and stewards fields, forests, farmland, wetlands, and trails throughout the Royal River watershed. You can designate your gift specifically to land acquisition, stewardship, or to RRCT’s greatest need as defined by our volunteer Board of Directors.