Land for Maine’s Future supports West Grand Lake

July 14, 2011

On July 12, the Land for Maine’s Future Board allocated a grant of $1,250,000 to the West Grand Lake Community Forest Project, giving a major boost to the $24 million campaign.  The Land for Maine’s Future program funding was approved by Maine’s voters in a bond referendum in November, and the Board allocated the available funding to projects selected from among 38 applicants around the state.   The Bangor Daily News coverage featured the West Grand Lake project.

Together with a recent $1,000,000 challenge grant from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, the campaign has now received over $13 million in funding commitments.  The $11 million still needed to complete the effort remains a significant fundraising challenge for Downeast Lakes Land Trust and the small community of Grand Lake Stream, which helped start this campaign with a unanimous vote to contribute $40,000.

The West Grand Lake Community Forest represents an outstanding opportunity for donors to make a major positive impact, supporting the permanent conservation of 21,700 acres of forest and wetland wildlife habitat, helping Grand Lake Stream remain an exceptional destination for outdoor recreation, sustaining the Downeast economy, and protecting Maine’s quality of life.