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PHOTO: Buck’s Ledge, in Woodstock. (Mahoosuc Land Trust photo)
AUGUSTA – Three central and western Maine conservation projects are among five added to the state’s Land for Maine’s Future program.
The program protects working land and wildlife habitat and preserves public access to lakes, rivers, scenic views and mountain vistas.
The five major projects totaled more than $3 million.
They include:
Buck’s Ledge Community Forest, a 634-acre parcel in Woodstock, in Oxford County, It’s popular for multiple recreation uses including hiking, rock climbing, hunting and snowmobiling. Noteworthy natural features include a mountain ledge and rock ledges, which are home to nesting peregrines and rare species of plants. The property is being acquired by the town of Woodstock and will be managed as community forest.
Kennebago Headwaters, a 1,723 parcel north of Rangeley that’s part of a 10,000-acre conservation project that protects the entire Kennebago watershed. The area provides some of the highest quality habitat for eastern brook trout, and the river annually attracts thousands of anglers. Conservation of the land will also protect habitat for many wildlife species including moose, deer, Canada lynx, marten, upland birds, and waterfowl.
The Kennebec Highlands, 813 acres in Vienna and New Sharon that fills the largest gap in the Kennebec Highlands Public Reserved Land. The land features a mountain summit with 360-degree views, and large blueberry fields for commercial and recreational picking. The highlands are the divide between the Kennebec and Androscoggin River watersheds, and the project includes more than 6,000 acres of conserved land that provides public access for fishing, hunting, trapping, hiking, mountain biking, running, skiing, snowmobiling, berry picking and horseback riding. The area is within 15 miles of Augusta and Waterville.
Other projects are the East Grand Lake Weston Conservation Easement in Washington County and Caribou Stream Deer Wintering Area in Aroostook County.
The Land for Maine’s Future Program is the state’s primary method of conserving land for its natural and recreational value. It has conserved nearly 604,000 acres of land, more than half of which – 333,425 acres – are working land. This includes 41 farms and 9,755 acres of farmland and 26 commercial working waterfront properties, along with 1,272 miles of shorelines of rivers, lakes and ponds, 58 miles of coastline, and 158 miles of former railroad corridors for recreational trails.
