Dear Editor:

The Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) has announced the kickoff of a Stewardship Campaign to raise money for its Endowment Fund to ensure the continued pursuit of its mission "to preserve the special beauty and natural resources of the region while providing appropriate public access and recreational activities" into the future.

Wholly reliant on donations and grants, the land trust is reaching out to the community in this effort. If you have ever walked the trails of BRLT's land or island preserves, taken advantage of its many educational programs, or reveled in the viewing of beautiful local lands, which support myriad forms of wildlife and which are preserved in perpetuity, then in your heart you already know the value of the land trust.

In dollars, a recent survey conducted by the University of Maine calculated that residents value BRLT hiking trails at $32.2 million. And yet everything the land trust offers to the public is offered year round at no cost. We can help it continue to do so.

Join us in making a contribution to BRLT's Stewardship Campaign. It's the least we can do for an organization that does so much for us. Giving now (to take advantage of a $500,000 challenge) will double the value of your gift, large or small.

Judy and Dave Eastwood
Boothbay Harbor