MANCHESTER –A land gift from Central Maine Power Company has helped to boost the holdings of the Kennebec Land Trust.

A news release from the utility said the property on Hutchinson Pond in Manchester is one of 13 parcels of land totaling more than 4,600 acres CMP is donating to various conservation groups and land trusts in 2011 as part of an environmental stewardship package linked with the Maine Power Reliability Program, CMP’s $1.4 billion upgrade of its bulk electric transmission system.

The gift to KLT includes an additional $25,000 in endowments for the eradication of the invasive species glossy buckthorn and common buckthorn. In all, more than 1,600 feet of undeveloped shoreline on the pristine pond in Manchester will be preserved, the utility said.

The property includes 29 acres of wetland, three significant vernal pools, and 3,227 feet of streams.

Springmann honored with flag seremony

AUGUSTA — In honor of Private First Class Tyler M. Springmann, Gov. Paul LePage has directed that the U.S and Maine flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Friday.

Springmann, 19, died July 17, 2011, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He graduated from Nokomis Regional High School, class of 2010. He joined the U.S. Army June 21, 2010, and took basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was assigned to the 25th Striker Brigade located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.