Unity Wetlands 
Unity, Unity Twp, Benton, Albion, Clinton, Burnham 
Description 
This large expanse of wetlands and uplands is centered on Unity Twp., extending east to 
Unity Pond and west to the Sebasticook River. (In practical terms, conservation here 
would likely be addressed as more than one focus area.) It includes a great array of 
natural features, especially of wetland and riparian habitats, but is also important as a 
unfragmented block of landÑthe upland as well as the wetland portions. 
The Sebasticook River from its mouth upstream several miles is the best habitat in the 
state for at least two rare mussels, the yellow lamp mussel and the tidewater mucket. 
These are extensive along the Sebasticook and some of its tributaries (e.g. Sandy Stream). 
The Sebasticook also provides habitat for riverweed, a rare aquatic plant found in fastflowing 
waters. Twentyfive-mile Stream and Fiftenmile Stream, also tributaries of the 
Sebasticook, have high-quality stretches of Silver Maple Floodplain Forest, a type that is 
rare statewide. Of particular note the occurrence in the floodplains of bur oak (Quercus 
macrocarpa), an unusual species in Maine whose distribution is centered in this portion 
of the state. These floodplain forests are among only a very few in the state with bur oak 
as an important component, which again heightens their conservation priority. Also 
found in these forests are several unusual wildflowers, including large populations of 
spring ephemerals such as trout lilies and bloodroot, as well as wild garlic, rare statewide. 
MNAP / MDIFW / MAS Land Trust Outreach May 2001 

Away from the immediate Sebasticook area are peatlands that have formed in shallow 
basins over the past several thousand years. Fowler Bog is a 700+ -acre peatland that has 
formed in a stream valley, where most of the vegetation is still in contact with surface 
waters (fen, as opposed to bog). Red maple wooded fen vegetation covers much of the 
area, with some portions more coniferous. Shrubby fens and wet meadows occur along 
streamsides. It is a good example of this common type of Maine peatland. Nearby, 
Kanokolus Bog is a raised level bog that shows the difference where peatland vegetation 
has become raised above the surface water level. This 300-acre bog is more nutrientpoor, 
with expanses of sheep laurel dwarf shrub bog, some partially wooded areas with 
stunted black spruce and larch, and some areas with northern white cedar around the 
edges. Raised bogs are not uncommon in Maine, but become more scarce in central and 
southern Maine than in northern and eastern Maine, and Kanokolus Bog is considered a 
good example of this type. 
The southern shore of Unity Pond also houses rare species, but is a fairly highly 
developed area and a low priority for conservation attention. Eagles have nested since 
1997 in a small woodland owned by Unity College, but the habitat is considered low 
priority for eagles from a statewide perspective, and the College is stewarding the area 
well. 
Rare Species and Natural Communities Summary Table 
Common Name Latin Name EO Global State 
Rank Rank Rank 
Tidewater Mucket Leptodea ochracea G4 S2 
Yellow Lamp-mussel Lampsilis cariosa G3G4 S2S3 
Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus G5 S3 
Wood Turtle Clemmys insculpata G4 S4 
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus G4 S4 
Hardwood Floodplain Forest (3) AB, B, 
& C 
S3 
Unpatterned Fen Ecosystem B S4 
Level Bog Ecosystem B S4 
Wild Garlic Allium canadense E G5 S2 
Wild Leek Allium tricoccum B G5 S3 
American shore-grass Littorella uniflora B? G5 S2 
Threadfoot Podostemum ceratophyllum BC G5 S2 
Other Resources Mapped by MDIFW 
Large Deer Wintering Areas and extensive areas of Wading Bird Ð Waterfowl Habitat are 
mapped here. 
Protection Status 
A small area along Twenty-five Mile Stream is in conservation ownership; otherwise, the 
land is privately owned. 
MNAP / MDIFW / MAS Land Trust Outreach May 2001 

Conservation Considerations 
The most important conservation strategy for aquatic features is maintaining or 
improving the water quality within the watershed. For lands where timber harvest or 
development continues, buffers should be maintained around all wetlands and ponds. 
While different species can have different buffering requirements, wider buffers provide 
better protection for riparian and wetland-dependent species. The state minimum 
shoreland zoning standards specify a minimum 75Õ buffer in which very little harvest or 
clearing is allowed, with less stringent restrictions within 250Õ of the wetland border. 
Better protection will be afforded to the wetlands and ponds if as little alteration as 
possible occurs within 250Õ of the wetland/upland border. Any timber harvesting within 
and adjacent to wetlands or adjacent to ponds should be implemented with strict 
adherence to Shoreland Zoning guidelines and Maine Forest Service Best Management 
Practices. 
Timber harvest in the vicinity of rare plant populations, and in floodplain forests in 
general, should be carefully planned to avoid adverse impacts to the flora. Machinery 
should not be used on the site when the ground is not frozen, as the moist ground would 
be susceptible to soil compaction and destruction of the existing plants. 
The wetlands in particular may be vulnerable to degradation from incidental uses related 
to increasing residential development. Buffers can play a major role in protection here. 
ORV use of the area is locally heavy, and care needs to be taken that ORVs stay on 
existing trails and remain out of all wetlands when the ground is not frozen. 
Conservation planning for upland and floodplain forests should include setting some 
areas aside from timber harvests to allow for the development of some unmanaged 
forests. 
Conservation easements, fee ownership, and tree growth and open space treatments 
would be appropriate conservation vehicles. 
MNAP / MDIFW / MAS Land Trust Outreach May 2001