Maine

From its dramatic coastline to its magnificent forests, Maine's wild character, abundant wildlife habitat and natural resource-based economy is being protected by the Fund and its partners.

Machias Lakes

We teamed with the Maine Department of Conservation on the acquisition of almost 8,000 acres of critical lake and stream front land surrounding the Machias Lakes of eastern Maine. The project protects almost 250 miles of prime lake, river and stream frontage – a truly amazing legacy. Some 86% of the Machias River’s Atlantic salmon spawning and rearing habitat will be preserved along with the famous backcountry canoe route. The protection of Machias Lakes fits into a broader conservation strategy for the Downeast Lakes region. The project links up with 45,000 acres of existing conservation lands and 329,000 acres of lands protected under easement by the Fund and its partners.

Downeast Maine

Sales of significant forest properties in Maine and across the nation are changing the face of resource-based communities. In addition, the potential loss of habitat for wildlife as forests are converted to other uses threatens an array of species.

In 2005 we joined a network of partners to secure a conservation easement on 327,000 acres of working forest. The Downeast Lakes property is an exemplary forest conservation project. The partners secured the second largest forestland conservation easement in U.S. history, designed to sustain a natural resource based, rural economy and the lifestyle of residents in  Washington and Penobscot counties.

These forestlands are strategically positioned between more than 600,000 acres of conserved lands in New Brunswick and 200,000 acres of state, federal and Native American lands in Maine. The lands contain 54 lakes with 336 miles of lake shoreline and more than 1,500 miles of river and stream shoreline in the Machias, East Machias, Dennys, Mattawamkeag and St. Croix River watersheds. There are at least eight active bald eagle nests and 33 nesting pairs of loons, representing seven percent of the loons in northern Maine. Together, the lakes and 50,800 acres of wetlands provide habitat for 180 bird species, including 23 warblers, American black ducks and wood ducks, as well as bear, moose, deer, pine marten, beaver, and otter. This tremendous coldwater fishery also supports landlocked salmon and smallmouth bass.

The project brought together an extraordinary group of public and private partners to support the local economy, linked by tradition to the surrounding natural resource base. Project partners included New England Forestry Foundation, State of Maine, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Downeast Lakes Land Trust, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and Wal-Mart’s Acres for America program.

The 312,000-acre property will be placed under a forest conservation easement and an access easement that together will maintain sustainable forestry practices and ensure perpetual public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, birding and boating. This bold conservation initiative will result in the permanent protection of more than one million acres of essentially uninterrupted habitat across an international boundary.