© Ben Pearson, Nature Conservancy

Four conservation organizations announced the successful completion of a landmark project that has conserved more than 78,000 acres in the Magalloway River region of western Maine. Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Forest Society of Maine, Northeast Wilderness Trust and The Nature Conservancy—together, the Magalloway Collaborative—worked in close coordination on all aspects of the effort, from initial negotiations through fundraising and completion of the conservation transactions, to connect a corridor of more than half a million acres of contiguous conserved lands. This multifaceted land conservation project maintains existing recreational access to the property’s lands and waters, creates new public preserves, restricts future development and sustains the regional economy through continued forest management opportunities while creating buffers around key waterbodies. …The Magalloway project’s balanced conservation approach was negotiated in partnership with Wagner Forest Management, representing Bayroot, LLC, the property owner. Most of the property (more than 62,500 acres) will continue to be managed by Wagner. 

Additional coverage in the Bangor Daily News by Susan Bard: Historic deal permanently protects 78K acres in western Maine