PRESS RELEASE
March 24, 2018
NEW SWEDEDN, ME —–The Aroostook County Conservation Association (A.C.C.A.) is pleased to announce that we are currently celebrating our 10th year of conservation related activities in the County. Our primary mission is to enhance and preserve the White-tail deer herd in Aroostook County, however, all species of wildlife will benefit from our habitat improvement projects and the wise use of renewable resources.
Our motto is “Helping One Deer at a Time”, and as deer enthusiasts we understand the importance of good nutrition and predator management, both of which increase the winter survival rate of deer and leads to successful fawning in the spring. A large part of what we do involves habitat improvement projects such as the planting of food plots which are strategically located throughout the county. These spring, summer and fall food sources are especially beneficial for deer, moose and turkeys by making sure that these species are well nourished before they have to endure our long cold winters. And when temperatures plummet and deep snow covers the ground making food plots unavailable, we offer the deer limited amounts of supplemental food consisting of a 50-50 blend of oats and barley. This feeding program is strictly monitored to make sure that the health and safety of the deer and nearby motorists is not jeopardized. The grain we use is purchased and grown in Caribou and Frenchville and the combined cost to us over the last 8 years has been nearly $20,000.00. We continue to plant maple, oak, hemlock and cedar trees to improve the winter browse available within the habitat.
We also send children to conservation camps to learn about important outdoor activities. Last year we sent 5 kids to the Lugdon Lodge Summer Camp for $1,500.00 and hope to send more this year. Additionally, we made cash donations of $300.00 to the Elks Club Fishing Day which was held last June at Mantle Lake in Presque Isle and $100.00 to the Sportsman’s Inc. fishing event which was held on Madawaska Lake.
From Allagash in the north to Houlton in the south and from Oxbow in the west to Limestone in the east, the list of our completed conservation projects is quite impressive! Through 2017 our members have planted close to 440 acres of wildlife food plots varying in size from 1-5 acres and 16,000 trees.
All of our staff are volunteers. We have no paid employees and we are always interested in recruiting new members. If you care about wildlife and love deer like we do, please consider joining our organization. For additional information, please visit our Facebook page (search for Aroostook County Conservation Association) or our website at www.accamaine.com. We are having our next public meeting Friday, April 20, 2018 6:30 p.m. at the Northeastland Hotel and we hope to see you there!