Western Maine Forest Permanently Protected, Securing Clean Drinking Water, Local Jobs and New Trail Network

BETHEL, Maine — A forest that has supported local jobs and clean water for generations, all while drawing hikers and skiers to western Maine, is now permanently protected.

The Conservation Fund, alongside the state of Maine and several partners, announced today that over 27,000 acres, including 11,000 acres at the heart of Chadbourne Tree Farm, have been permanently protected from development. Importantly, these acres remain open to the public and in active use as a working forest. This milestone means the clean water, important habitat, local jobs and outdoor access that residents and visitors have long enjoyed will continue for years to come.

“This forest could have been sold off, fragmented and closed to the public forever. Instead, thanks to an extraordinary group of partners, it will supply clean water, grow timber and jobs, and offer trail access, forever,” said Tom Duffus, vice president and Northeast representative for The Conservation Fund.

“Through the Land for Maine’s Future Program, Maine people have chosen to invest in the places that define our state and sustain our communities. As someone who is proud to call western Maine home, I know firsthand how special this landscape is. Protecting this remarkable forest will preserve clean drinking water, support forestry and outdoor-recreation jobs, conserve important wildlife habitat, and ensure that generations of Maine people can continue to enjoy these lands. I am proud that the State of Maine could help bring partners together to secure this landscape for the future,” said Maine Governor Janet Mills.

“This project demonstrates that forest conservation and a strong rural economy go hand in hand. By keeping these lands actively and sustainably managed, together we are protecting the forest products economy and the people whose livelihoods depend on it, while also safeguarding clean water, wildlife habitat, and year-round public access. This is precisely the kind of collaborative, landscape-scale conservation that benefits Maine communities for generations,” said Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal.

At the center of it all is Chadbourne Tree Farm, which sits at the headwaters of the Sebago Lake watershed, providing drinking water for more than 200,000 people in the greater Portland area. The tree farm’s forests provide a critical corridor for wildlife adapting to a changing climate. And conservation of this area additionally secures the last large pieces needed to connect two Bethel-area ski resorts — Sunday River Resort and Mt. Abram — with a continuous trail network, turning what was once a boundary between two mountains into a single, connected outdoor destination open to hikers, skiers and cyclists year-round.

This landscape-scale effort, which launched in 2020 when The Conservation Fund and the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation acquired 14,898 acres of the tree farm, has been carried forward by a coalition of partners, including Mahoosuc Land Trust, Greater Lovell Land Trust, Western Foothills Land Trust, Inland Woods + Trails, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, and U.S. Forest Service. Additional lands secured as part of the larger effort include a 560-acre addition to the Inland Woods + Trails Bethel Community Forest; over 1,300 acres added to Western Foothills Land Trust’s Twin Bridges and other preserves; over 328 acres to Greater Lovell Land Trust’s Kezar Corridor Lands; 600 acres to White Mountain National Forest; MDIFW’s new Songo Pond Boat Launch; and 12,000 acres to Mahoosuc Land Trust’s holdings, including 11,000 acres conserved as the Crooked River Headwaters easement project and a nearly 1,000-acre Tumbledown Dick Preserve in Gilead.

“People travel from across the globe to experience the natural beauty of America’s public lands,” said U.S. Senator Angus King. “Our public lands are a national treasure; they deserve and require the necessary protections to provide jobs, outdoor recreation, and vital resources to our communities. This permanent protection status for over 27,000 acres of Maine forests is the result of hard work and dedication from the people and organizations across Maine who believe in the strong interdependence of our lands, our people, and our economy. This is an incredible accomplishment that will be celebrated and enjoyed for generations to come.”

“As the most heavily wooded state in the nation, Maine’s forests are central to our way of life. This collaborative conservation effort will help preserve beautiful forestland in western Maine for generations to come. I have long supported the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Forest Legacy Program, and I am pleased that these federal investments helped make this important project possible,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins.

“Maine’s forests are foundational not only to our state’s economy, but to what it means to be a Mainer. Our relationship with the great outdoors is key to who we are, and preserving woodlands for future generations to enjoy just as their forebearers did is a goal that we can all share. I’ve consistently supported the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which exists to support worthy projects just like this one in Bethel. Congratulations to all those involved in this successful conservation effort,” said U.S. Representative Jared Golden.

The Forest Legacy easement that was secured as part of this effort was made possible with support from the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program funded via the Land and Water Conservation Fund with the leadership of Maine’s congressional delegation, Land for Maine’s Future Program, and more than $10 million in private philanthropic support. The Conservation Fund and the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation originally acquired the property together. To finance its portion of the acquisition, The Conservation Fund used a loan from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and proceeds from its green bonds through the Working Forest Fund, which is dedicated to protecting at-risk working forests across America.

“Mahoosuc Land Trust is grateful to have played a role in this extraordinary collaboration and in realizing a future where the lands most important to people and wildlife are cared for, and conservation, recreation, healthy communities and a strong local economy are deeply connected,” said Kirk Siegel, executive director of Mahoosuc Land Trust.

“The 328-acre Chadbourne Tree Farm property that we purchased in partnership with The Conservation Fund was an incredible addition to Kezar Corridor Lands, connecting its 1,300 acres with the adjacent 1,400 we own and creating a 2,700-acre corridor along seven miles of the Kezar River,” said Erika Rowland, executive director of Greater Lovell Land Trust.

“The activation of a community held vision for outdoor recreation and the inspiration for additional conservation outcomes because of the Forest Legacy easement is solidifying the center of gravity for Inland Woods + Trails,” said Gabe Perkins, executive director of Inland Woods + Trails. “This further demonstrates to a national audience the importance of collaboration, critical investment, and realizing community intent. Inland Woods + Trails would not have been able to grow, diversify, and become a leader in the closely coupled sectors of outdoor recreation and exemplary forest management without the success of The Conservation Fund’s concerted effort to create this Forest Legacy outcome.”

“The Conservation Fund created an extraordinary opportunity for conservation across the region, including here in the Oxford Hills. We are grateful to have been part of the effort,” said Korey Morgan, executive director of Western Foothills Land Trust. “Thanks to The Conservation Fund, Western Foothills Land Trust was able to conserve more than 1,300 acres across three properties. These lands will remain working forests, provide important wildlife habitat and clean water, and keep the Maine woods accessible to the local community. That combination is at the heart of what conservation can accomplish: keeping forests working, keeping them accessible, and ensuring the benefits they provide endure for generations.”

About The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund protects the land that sustains us all. We are in the business of conservation, creating innovative solutions that drive nature-based action in all 50 states for climate protection, vibrant communities and sustainable economies. We apply effective strategies, efficient financing approaches, and enduring government, community and private partnerships to protect millions of acres of America’s natural land, cultural sites, recreation areas and working forests and farms. To learn more, visit www.conservationfund.org.