Grants from the Land for Maine’s Future program in 2016 helped enable the purchase of several forested parcels near the Crooked River in Harrison and Otisfield. The largest of these is Loon Echo Land Trust’s Intervale parcel, which contains more than a mile of frontage on the river and some easy trails down to the Read More
snowmobiling
Grafton Notch Conservation Project
In 2007, the Grafton Notch Conservation Project was completed to preserve this parcel of pristine, heavily wooded land that is located in one of New England’s top hiking areas. The property encompasses the southeast slope of Old Speck Mountain, four miles of the Grafton Notch Loop Trail, and a popular snowmobile path. These 3,688 acres Read More
Bald and Ragged Mountains
Both standing at about 1,300 ft., these twin peaks present Midcoast residents and visitors with some excellent hikes and spectacular views of shimmering lakes, dense forests, and nearby Penobscot Bay. Coastal Mountains Land Trust has spearheaded ambitious efforts to conserve these mountains and their surrounding areas for decades. They manage a good deal of the Read More
Hacker’s Hill
Hacker’s Hill Preserve is a 27-acre property owned by Loon Echo Land Trust that is located near Sebago Lake in southern Maine. The preserve’s jewel is its hilltop vista, on which visitors gather to relax, picnic, and enjoy gorgeous views of the White Mountains and the Lakes Region. The breathtaking sunset seen from atop Hacker’s Read More
Androscoggin Riverlands
When a timber company with lands along the Androscoggin River began to divest itself of its Maine holdings in the late 1980s, local residents grew concerned that the woods they had long enjoyed for traditional recreation might be subdivided and developed. They circulated petition drives, created a video about the property, and sought help from Read More
Aroostook State Park
In a rolling landscape dominated by farms, Quaggy Joe Mountain presents a prominent profile. Alongside it lies Echo Lake, a popular brook trout fishery and swimming destination. Both these recreational resources lie within Aroostook State Park, the first state park ever created in Maine (in 1939). The Park, just five miles south of Presque Isle, draws Read More
Aroostook Valley Trail
For half a century, freight and passenger cars ran a regular service through this rural region. The last freight service ended by 1960 and the rail lines were abandoned for decades. Community members saw the conversion of these rail beds into multi-use trails as a means to meet the recreational and fitness needs of local residents, lure Read More
Black Brook Preserve
Of all the towns in rapidly growing Cumberland County, Windham ranks second in percentage population increase over the past three decades. Many former farms and woodlands have sprouted housing developments and it looked as if this 105-acre property in the heart of town would be the next to go. The land, between three heavily traveled Read More
Bowden Farm
Since 1989, Blue Hill Heritage Trust has worked to preserve agricultural land on the Blue Hill peninsula. As part of this effort, the Trust sought to acquire an agricultural easement on Bowden Farm, an attractive 208-acre mix of woods and fields along Route 15. The Land for Maine’s Future program and the USDA Farm and Ranch Land Read More