Appleton Bog/Pettingill Swamp/Witcher Swamp 
Appleton, Searsmont 
Rare Species/Natural Communities Summary Table: 
Latin Name Common Name EO-Rank G-Rank S-Rank 
Forested Bog (Witcher Swamp) B S4 
Atlantic White Cedar Swamp 
(Appleton Bog) 
A G3 S2 
Red Maple Swamp (Appleton Bog) B G5 S5 
Unpatterned Fen (Appleton Bog) B S4 
Unpatterned Fen (Pettingill Stream) B S4 
Potamogeton confervoides Pondweed H G4 S1? 
Description: 
Appleton Bog, Witcher Swamp, and Pettingill Swamp are three large wetlands separated by a 
narrow upland ridge and the St. George River. Appleton Bog flows northward into the St. George 
River via Harriet Brook and the Dead River. Witcher Swamp flows southward into the St. George 
River. Most of Pettingill Swamp appears to drain southward into the Medomak River. Nonetheless, 
the proximity of the three large wetlands, and their combined habitat diversity, suggest that they may 
be viewed as one large conservation entity. In addition, because they contains extensive wetlands that 
function in part as headwaters of the St. George River, this area also provides flood and water quality 
protection for the St. George River. 
Appleton Bog is the northernmost occurrence of an Atlantic white cedar swamp 
(Chamacyparis thyoides), and it is one of the largest Atlantic white cedar swamps in the state. The 
site contains three pure stands of Atlantic white cedar as well as red maple swamp, unpatterned fen, 
and other wetland types that are part of an approximately nearly 1,000 acre wetland complex. Newbert 
Pond, a 30-acre kidney-shaped pond and the location of a historic pondweed (Potamogeton 
confervoides) record, is embedded within the wetland complex. 
The Pettengill Swamp complex is a 450+ acre peatland that occupies a broad valley at a 
watershed divide. The northern part of the complex (Whitney Bog) is adjacent to and drains into the 
St. George River, while the southern part (Pettingill Swamp) drains southward into the Medomak 
River. In aggregation, this unpatterned fen ecosystem contains multiple types: red maple woodland 
fen, dwarf shrub bog, tussock sedge meadow, shrub fen dominated by sweet gale and meadowsweet, 
and black spruce bog. 
Witcher Swamp is a 500 acre wetland dominated by a forested bog which is comprised of different 
sub-types: northern white cedar swamp, northern white cedar fen, and black spruce bog. 
Threats: Threats to these systems include hydrologic alteration (from changes in water flow or 
impoundment of waterways), development of adjacent uplands, and poor timber harvesting practices. 
Most of the potential impacts from logging or other alteration of the Appleton Bog have been abated 
by land protection. 
Protection Status: Nearly 1,000 acres at the site are owned by The Nature Conservancy Ð much of this 
protection has occurred within the last decade. This protected land includes most of the Atlantic White 
cedar swamp, as well as a small portion of surrounding uplands. None of the other wetlands within 
this complex have formal land protection.