DLLT is a community-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2001 in Grand Lake Stream, Maine.
© 2023 Downeast Lakes Land Trust
Maine Acquires Conservation Easement in Partnership; Land Trust Pursuing Community Forest Purchase
Today the Downeast Lakes Land Trust and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry announced the Department’s purchase of a conservation easement on 21,870 acres in Grand Lake Stream from The Lyme Timber Company.
The West Grand Lake Forest property wraps around the village of Grand Lake Stream, and is adjacent to other conservation lands, including the Downeast Lakes Land Trust’s 33,708-acre Farm Cove Community Forest. These lands are in a broader landscape of nearly 1.4 million contiguous acres of public and private conservation lands extending across the border into New Brunswick, Canada.
The West Grand Lake Forest conservation easement includes 17 miles of shoreline on West Grand, Big, and Lower Oxbrook lakes, along with frontage on Big Musquash Stream. It also conserves ¼ mile on the west side of Grand Lake Stream above Big Falls.
This conservation easement purchase extends the option agreement between the land trust and Lyme Timber through 2015, providing opportunity to raise the additional funds required to purchase the property outright. Downeast Lakes Land Trust seeks to acquire the forest and manage it with the adjacent Farm Cove Community Forest with a focus on wildlife habitat, public recreation, and a sustainable timber economy. “Our approach provides local people the opportunity to become stewards of the natural resources that support their economy,” said Executive Director Mark Berry.
It the support of Downeast Lakes Land Trust by many individuals, corporations, foundations, and public funding agencies that has made this result possible. Thank you!
Additional Information:
Click here to learn more about the project.
Download a map of the project area and surrounding conservation lands: WGLCF Detail & Context Map, 1pg 12.12hq
Media Release from DLLT with Quotes and Partner Information
Media Release from Maine Dept of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry
Media Contact Information and Quotes
Information about Project Partners
DLLT is a community-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2001 in Grand Lake Stream, Maine.
© 2023 Downeast Lakes Land Trust