Welcome to the website of the York River Stewardship Committee, which was formed in 2023 and includes appointees from Eliot, Kittery, South Berwick, and York. The committee is the local partner for the nationally-designated Wild and Scenic York River and is tasked with implementing the York River Watershed Stewardship Plan.
Contact the York River Stewardship Committee: Email Jennifer Hunter (coordinator)
Next monthly meeting: Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the York Land Trust Community Meeting Room (1 Long Neck Marsh Road, York). Contact Jennifer Hunter for more information. All meetings are open to the public.
HIGHLIGHTS
*** NEW GRANTS PROGRAM! *** February 1, 2024 — The York River Stewardship Committee is excited to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) and an accompanying Application Form for its newly created York River Watershed Grants Program, made possible with funding from the National Park Service Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. Through this funding opportunity, the Stewardship Committee aims to support projects that implement the York River Watershed Stewardship Plan to protect or enhance watershed resources. Applications are due by April 30, 2024.
- York River Watershed Grants Program REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
- York River Watershed Grants Program APPLICATION FORM (downloadable/fillable Word document)
News Center Maine’s ‘207’ feature on York River
River Designation celebrated: On June 1, Congresswoman Pingree joined the York River Study Committee, York River watershed community members, National Park Service representatives, Friends of the York River, town officials, and others to celebrate designation of the York River into the national Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. Representatives for Senator King and Senator Collins joined the Congresswoman in making remarks at the celebratory event. READ THE PRESS RELEASE
- York River is one of 228 rivers designated into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (and just one of 18 Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers). Learn more about Wild and Scenic rivers on rivers.gov.
- Read more about what makes York River special: Poster on York River’s outstanding resources
- Learn about climate resiliency and adaptation measures: York River and Climate Change poster
- The York River Watershed Stewardship Plan was the culmination of over 30 months of work by the York River Study Committee to gather information about the York River and its watershed.
Towns that are part of the 33 square mile York River watershed |
Dams (or remnants of past dams) in the watershed, including historic dams originally built to harness the river’s power for saw and grist mills |
Species of fish found in tidal habitats during a 2001 study of the York River |
Miles of streams and rivers in the York River watershed |
Acres of salt marsh in the York River estuary that capture and store carbon and provide valuable habitat for many species |
The year the first dam was built in the watershed |