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The Project:
The Downeast Lakes Forestry Partnership was a joint effort of the
Downeast Lakes Land Trust, the New England
Forestry Foundation, and the Woodie Wheaton Land
Trust to protect 342,000 acres of nearly
contiguous woodlands and waterways in Washington
County, Maine. Locally incubated, locally led,
and locally supported, the project was designed
to address the social and economic needs of
Maine’s easternmost county, while achieving
far-reaching conservation goals.
The Land:
The
342,000 acres conserved create a centerpiece for
more than 1 million acres
of
essentially
uninterrupted habitat across the international
boundary from Maine to New Brunswick.
The project area has been designated as a
Globally Important Bird Area by the American
Bird Conservancy. The transaction
consisted of
three major purchases:
-
Farm Cove Community Forest:
the Farm Cove Community Forest, 27,080 acres
bordered by 62 miles of pristine lakeshore,
was purchased on May 15, 2005, and is owned
and managed as a community forest by
Downeast Lakes Land Trust.
-
Conservation Easement:
NEFF acquired an easement over 312,000 acres
of the “Sunrise Tree Farm” on May 15, 2005,
and the State of Maine acquired a public
access easement on the same lands. The land
is still owned by Typhoon, LLC and managed
by Wagner Forest Mgt.
-
St. Croix Corridor:
the State of Maine acquired a 50-mile, 3,019
acre, conservation corridor along Spednic
Lake and the Upper St. Croix River.
CLICK HERE TO SEE A MAP OF THE
CONSERVED LANDS
The
Natural Resources Conserved Include:
-
More than 445 miles of lake shoreline, and
more than 1,500 miles of river and stream
shoreline;
-
At least eight active Bald Eagle nests, and
more than 10% of the loons of northern
Maine;
-
More than 54,000 acres of productive
wetlands;
-
A tremendous cold water fishery for salmon
and bass, and historic Native American canoe
routes;
-
Habitat for at least 185 bird species
including loons, American black ducks,
Canada geese, wood ducks, and 23 species of
warblers;
-
More than 60 lakes supporting fish and
wildlife, including bear, moose, deer,
marten, and beaver.
The Funding: The Partnership’s
budget of $34.8 million was used to fund
the three purchases, establish critical monitoring and management
endowments, and cover the costs of the capital
campaign. Many individuals, corporations, and
private foundations played a vital role in
completing this project. Major institutional
funders included:
-
Amelia Peabody
Charitable Fund
-
C.F. Adams
Charitable Trust
-
Elmina B. Sewall
Foundation
-
Gilbert & Ildiko
Butler Foundation, Inc.
-
Land for Maine’s
Future Program
-
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
-
Open Space
Conservancy, Inc. - Northern Forest
Protection Fund
-
Sweet Water Trust
-
The Nature
Conservancy
-
The Pew Charitable
Trusts
-
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service - North American Wetlands
Conservation Act
-
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service - North Cape Oil Spill
Trustee Council
-
Wal-Mart’s Acres
for America Program
DLLT and project partners announced the
successful completion of the Downeast Lakes
Forestry Partnership capital campaign on May 20,
2008. Downeast Lakes Land Trust will be forever
grateful to the board members, volunteers, and
donors who made this possible.
"Downeast Lakes Forestry
Partnership announcement in the news"
"Partners Announce
Completion of Downeast Lakes Forestry
Partnership fundraising campaign"
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