Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) is rolling out a new dog leashing policy this summer at a select group of its public preserves. The policy will impact dog owners at the following locations: Porter Preserve, Ovens Mouth Preserve (East and West), Lobster Cove Meadow, Appalachee Preserve, Zak Preserve, and Singing Meadows Preserve. At these preserves, dogs will be required to remain on leash at all times during your visit.

The decision to modify the leashing policy at these locations was made following an extensive review of on-going concerns with unleashed dogs on trails. The land trust took a number of considerations into account in crafting the new policy, which was approved by the BRLT Board of Directors this spring.

BRLT strives to provide access to nature, habitat for wildlife, and educational programs for the community and visitors to the Boothbay peninsula. With this comes the responsibility to ensure visitors and their pets have a safe and comfortable experience whether they are hiking the trails, viewing wildlife, fishing and hunting, or simply seeking peace and solitude. The land trust also has a responsibility to provide a safe haven for the flora and fauna it aims to protect as a land conservation organization.

The popularity of BRLT preserves has been on the rise for several years now (trends which echo nationwide visitation at public parks and nature preserves), and BRLT is seeing a corresponding increase in the number of dogs utilizing preserves. This has in turn led to increased reports of negative human-dog interactions on the trails, as well as on-going issues with dog impacts near sensitive habitats. Though BRLT’s policy has long required dog owners to keep their dogs in sight and under voice control, and to ensure dogs are by their side leashed when encountering other visitors, BRLT frequently receives calls from concerned, angry, and upset individuals relaying encounters with dogs that are neither by the owner’s side, nor controlled. Land trust staff have encountered similar such problems, including being approached by aggressive dogs on the trails, jumped on by dogs, and on one occasion bitten by an uncontrolled dog. Furthermore, there has been an increase in dog waste left on trails, as well as dogs entering sensitive bird nesting areas unleashed. This can have major impacts on field nesting birds in meadow habitats in particular. Given these compounding issues, BRLT felt that it was necessary to take steps to mitigate the impacts.

Currently the land trust limits dogs from visiting Damariscove Island due to the sensitive bird-nesting habitat, and at Oak Point Farm, dogs are required to be leashed at all times. When the land trust established a dog leash requirement at Oak Point Farm, it foresaw the heavy visitation the preserve would receive as BRLT’s headquarters and the center of its educational programming. It made sense to require dogs to be leashed in order to ensure the safety of visitors including those with disabilities and the very young. The success of the leashing policy at Oak Point Farm has helped guide BRLT’s efforts to address dog concerns on some of its other high use and sensitive preserves.

In developing the new policy, BRLT worked to balance a variety of needs including the need for members and visitors with dogs to enjoy BRLT Preserves; the need for members and visitors who, for a variety of reasons, do not feel safe or comfortable in the presence of unrestrained dogs, to enjoy BRLT Preserves; the need to increase safety and mitigate unsafe or negative human-dog encounters on high-use trails; and the need to address specific harm that sensitive habitats face given the increasing number of dogs off-leash.

The land trust recognizes that there are many dog owners, both members and visitors, who appreciate the opportunity to allow their dogs to get fresh air and exercise on land trust trails. All BRLT trails will continue to remain open to visitors with dogs. The land trust also recognizes that a large number of dog owners value the opportunity to let their pet run and explore off-leash, under voice control and within the owner’s sight. At this time, BRLT continues to provide this opportunity at a number of less busy preserves with smaller parking lots, which it hopes will naturally limit potential negative encounters. BRLT would remind visitors to these preserves that when visiting, dogs off leash must remain within their sight and under voice command. Dogs should be leashed at the owner’s side when passing other visitors. Please be mindful that not everyone is a dog person, nor do all people appreciate a strangers’ dog approaching them.

The land trust will be adding signage to its preserves in the coming months, with all signs to be placed by July 1 clearly indicating leash requirements. Complimentary leashes will be available at the kiosks for visitors with dogs. As always, we ask that visitors at all BRLT preserves clean up and carry out all dog waste and other trash to keep our preserves beautiful and healthy for wildlife. Thank you for your consideration and support in following these measures to ensure the safe enjoyment of our natural trails for all visitors. Those with questions regarding this new policy are invited to contact BRLT directly and speak with Executive Director Nick Ullo at 633-4818.