The Maine Warden Service Awards Ceremony Tuesday, Oct. 21. (Peter Weston photo) CARRABASSETT VALLEY — Every year the Maine Warden Service recognizes landowners who provide exceptional opportunities for public recreational use of their lands. This year the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association nominated the Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District for Municipal Landowner of the Year, and they were selected.

The nomination letter to the Warden Service describes the reasons for the award.

"One of the early goals of CVOA was to establish a shooting range. At the time the only opportunity people in the Valley had for sighting in rifles or recreational target practice was in local, privately owned gravel pits. CVOA approached the Town of Carrabassett Valley concerning this matter, and was offered a lease on a beautiful 40-acre piece of land off Route 27 that is part of the Sanitary District.

"After many man-hours of clearing the area, hundreds of truckloads of fill, piles of bark mulch donated by a local saw mill, and the investment by CVOA in a stateof the-art trap machine, the site now has the most beautiful trap range in the state, along with a proper and safe rifle range and a six-station pistol range.

"Not only has this site become a premier shooting range for the club members, but also the US Border Patrol, the Maine Warden Service and the local police departments use it for training. CVOA recently sponsored a Boy Scout troop in Stratton and plan to use the range for some of their activities, including an Eagle Scout project. In addition, this past summer the range hosted the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Recreation Day for local youths, and the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Field Days.

"The range is incredible with its view of the Bigelow Mountain Range. We are so lucky to have use of this land, all thanks to the Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District. The District Superintendent David Keith, the District's Board of Directors and the Town Manager Dave Cota have all been very supportive of our efforts.

"To show our appreciation for the district's and the town's generosity and continued support, the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association is nominating the Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District for the Landowner of the Year Award."

Keith received the plaque and a beautiful limited edition wildlife print from Captain Dan Scott of the Warden Service at the annual awards dinner held in Augusta. In addition to the sanitary district, five other landowners were honored, including the Black Mountain Ski Area in Rumford. Peter Weston and Neal Trask represented CVOA at the function. Dave Keith spoke briefly, reviewing the recreational uses of the district's 1,200 acres including snowmobiling, ATVs, Maine Huts and Trails, other hiking trails, cross country skiing, and hunting.

The Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association is pleased to honor the CV Sanitary District as the Landowner of the Year.