From the highest points in the Kennebec Highlands, a 6,400-acre expanse of wooded hills and wetlands just north of Augusta, one can see to the White Mountains, Mt. Katahdin, and the Camden Hills. Foreground views encompass the Belgrade Lakes and vast stretches of contiguous forest land – broken only by an occasional blueberry field, marsh, Read More
Mountain Biking
Kennebec Highlands — Kimball Pond
The 7 Lakes Alliance acquired a 278-acre property around Kimball Pond in Vienna. The property includes Kimball Pond’s headwaters (including areas prone to erosion), a tributary stream, and wetlands area. Kimball Pond is home to a popular fishing spot for brook trout. The Kimball Pond area is also home to sustainably harvested forestland. The goal Read More
Knight’s Pond Preserve
Knight’s Pond is situated less than a mile from both Cumberland and North Yarmouth centers and is suitable for a range of recreational activities, including ice skating, fishing, dog walking, mountain biking, trail running, snowmobiling, hunting, and more. Visitors are permitted to snowshoe and cross-country ski, although the trails are not maintained for these activities Read More
Kennebec River Access
The City of Gardiner acquired land by the mouth of Cobbosseecontee Stream in its historic district that will more than double the amount of publicly accessible river frontage in the 10 surrounding towns that border the Kennebec. This 2-acre parcel triples the size of Gardiner’s waterfront park by linking the heavily used boat launch with Read More
Kennebunk Plains
At 3,200 acres, the protected sandplain grassland community found at the Kennebunk Plains is the largest intact example of this ecosystem in New England. Grassland habitat, never abundant in the Northeast, is declining rapidly due to development and changing agricultural practices. The sandy dry soils underlying the Plains made them a particular target for residential Read More
Lake George Regional Park
In periodic surveys of recreational resources throughout Maine, the Department of Conservation (DOC) repeatedly identified a deficiency in west-central Maine where residents clearly needed more resources for water-based recreation. Seeking to fill this need, the Department searched for12 years before an ideal property came on the market–a former summer camp at the southern end of Read More
Leavitt Plantation Forest
The fate of an 8,600-acre forest, which has supported generations of local families, came into question in 2000 when the land was slated for auction into more than a dozen parcels. Leavitt Plantation Forest in Parsonsfield represents York County’s largest contiguous block of sustainably managed forest in single ownership, and provides high-value forest products that Read More
Machias River Project
The Machias River ranks with the St. John, the Allagash, and the Penobscot as one of Maine’s most scenic and outstanding paddling rivers. Over the course of 76 miles, canoeists enjoy an array of water courses–from lakes and swamps to rapids and a waterfall. The river is rich in brook trout, bass, and pickerel, and each spring Read More
Mill Pond Park
Like many island communities in Maine, Swans Island has experienced a steady loss in public shore access in recent years. New development and changes in ownership have closed off lands by which community members once reached the water. When an opportunity arose to secure a waterfront park site, town residents acted quickly to acquire the Read More
