Documents and Notes

YORK RIVER STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE MEETINGS – agendas and minutes 

The Stewardship Committee meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., typically at the York Land Trust office.  Meeting agendas and minutes (after approval at subsequent meeting) are posted below. Scroll mid-way down this page to access meeting materials from the York River Study Committee’s meetings that took place from 2016 to June 2023.

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From 2016-2018, the Study Committee developed a locally-based York River Watershed Stewardship Plan, and in 2019 provided input to the National Park Service on its York River Wild and Scenic River Study Report that describes the eligibility and suitability of a Partnership Wild and Scenic River designation for the York River.  Reports and documents, York River Study Committee meeting agendas and minutes (scroll to mid-way down page), outreach materials, and various presentations given by or to the York River Study Committee are all available below.

A separate sub-page was created during development of the York River Watershed Stewardship Plan. Early drafts of the Stewardship Plan are posted there. 

DOCUMENTS, NOTES AND REPORTS

The York River Study Committee approved the Stewardship Plan at its July 24, 2018 meeting: York River Watershed Stewardship Plan. A Story Map by Wells Reserve accompanies the Stewardship Plan.

Final reports on the York River Watershed build-out study completed by Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission and Spatial Alternatives, June 2018:

Notes from the February 13, 2018 ORV Subcommittee meeting on water quality and fish habitat, including links to two presentations given at the meeting: Notes from Feb13 WQ and Fish Habitat meeting

Final report on the 2017 fish survey conducted by Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve for the York River Study (includes Habitat Assessment/GIS Analysis in report appendix):  An Assessment of Spring Fish Communities in the York River, Maine

Final reports on York River headwaters historic resources surveys completed in 2017:

River segments recommended by the York River Study Committee for Partnership Wild and Scenic River designation and summary, as of December 2017: Designation Outreach Print Version December 2017.  Maps of rivers recommended for PWSR designation: Proposed Stream Reaches Poster Dec2017 (poster size, best for on-line viewing) and Proposed Stream Reaches Letter Dec2017 (letter size, best for printing)

Notes from the November 9, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on fish, wildlife and habitats, including links to two presentations given at the meeting: Notes from Nov9 Natural Resources meeting

The York River Study Committee’s Preliminary Draft Management Recommendations Outline, October 2017

Notes from the August 24, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on historic resources, including links to three presentations given at the meeting: Notes from Aug24 Historic Resources meeting

Notes from the June 20, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on watershed conservation lands, including links to a presentation given at the meeting: Notes from June20 Conservation Lands meeting

Notes from the May 11, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on drinking water supplies, including links to a presentation and a document handed out at the meeting: Notes from May11 Watershed Drinking Water Supplies meeting

Notes from the April 26, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on working waterfront, tidal water recreation and economic values, including links to the presentation given and documents handed out at the meeting: Notes from Apr26 Working Waterfront Tidal Water Recreation meeting; data compiled by YRSC: Working Waterfront Data Compilation – Summary

Notes from the March 30, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on infrastructure, aquatic organism passage, and describing river flow and conditions, including links to four presentations given at the meeting: Notes from Mar30 Infrastructure meeting

Notes from the March 7, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on water quality in the York River, including links to data and shoreline survey findings from Maine Department of Marine Resources: Notes from Mar7 WQ meeting

Policy statement on York Harbor dredging, February 2017: York River W&S Study and York Harbor Dredging

Notes from the January 31, 2017 ORV Subcommittee meeting on York River salt marshes and potential marsh migration areas, including links to a presentation and maps distributed at the meeting: Notes from Jan31 Saltmarsh Meeting; list of salt marsh-related data and reports: Resource Information and Links – ORV Saltmarsh Meeting Jan 31 2017

Wild and Scenic River Reconnaissance Survey of the York River, National Park Service Northeast Region, 2013  (This survey pre-dates the formation of the York River Study Committee but provides background information for the York River Study.)

YRSC MONTHLY MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES

From 2015-2020, the York River Study Committee met monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month (third Tuesday in December) at the Grant House in York. From 2020-2022 the committee met on Zoom as needed. In 2023, the committee resumed monthly in-person meetings, held at the York Land Trust office. Meeting agendas and minutes from past meetings are available. Minutes are not posted until approved at a subsequent meeting.

INFORMATION AND OUTREACH MATERIALS 

YRSC Media Release – Designation announcement (December 2022)

Media Release from Congresswoman Pingree on York River Designation (December 2022)

Testimony from Jennifer Hunter given at Senate Subcommittee hearing on designation bill (June 2021)

Media Release from Senator King following Senate Subcommittee hearing on designation bill (June 2021)

Media Release from Maine’s congressional delegation on reintroduction of designation bills in US House and Senate (March 2021)

Media Release from Congresswoman Pingree on inclusion of York River designation in Wilderness Protection Act (February 2021)

Media Release from Senators King and Collins on introduction of designation bill (December 2020)

Poster on York River outstanding resources (February 2020)

Maine Legislative Resolution supporting York River designation (February 2020)

Poster on York River and Climate Change (January 2020)

Climate change impacts to Gulf of Maine (January 2020)

York River Watershed Stewardship Plan recommendations to help prepare for climate change (January 2020)

National Park Service Media Release on Study Report (January 2020)

Testimony from Chuck Ott provided at House Subcommittee hearing on designation bill (May 2019)

Letter to York River watershed residents (October 2018)

Media Release YRSC Oct 4 Speaker & Event Flyer

YRSC September3 2018 Media Release

Designation Recommendation / Overview (updated September 2018)

York River Study June 2018 Media Release

Frequently Asked Questions (updated May 2018): FAQ York River W&S Study

York River Study December 2017 Media Release

York River Study June 2017 Media Release

July Walking Tours Flyer

Archaeology Survey Flyer

Letter to landowners in the historic resources survey area (March 2017): Landowner Letter and Map

Overview of the York River Study and the NPS Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program: York River Study Factsheet

Public Input Poster on York River Watershed Resources: Public Input Poster

York River Study Committee – Update and Listening Session, June 20, 2016: Agenda, Study Committee List and Watershed Map, York River Watershed Report List, & Presentations

PRESENTATIONS (see “Documents, Notes and Reports” section above for notes from ORV topic meetings that include hyperlinks to presentations given at those meetings)

December 11, 2017 Presentation by York River Study Coordinator to Kittery Council, December 11, 2017

Archaeological and Architectural History Survey for the York River Headwaters Presentation by Gemma Hudgell, Northeast Archaeology Research Center (contractor hired by the York River Study Committee), presented at the Eliot Historical Society monthly meeting, April 10, 2017

December 8 Presentation by York River Study Committee members to the Eliot Board of Selectmen, December 8, 2016

November 1 Presentation by York River Study Committee members to the South Berwick Town Council, November 1, 2016

October 24 Presentation by York River Study Committee members to the Kittery Town Council, October 24, 2016

October 17 Presentation by York River Study Committee members at the York Public Library, October 17, 2016

York River Study Overview presentation at June 20, 2016 Update and Listening Session by various York River Study Committee members, June 2016

Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers presentation at York River Study Committee meeting by Jim MacCartney, National Park Service, January 2016