Bold Coast Wilderness Preserve

In the late 1980s, development pressure in Maine reached a section of Washington County known as the Bold Coast. A vast proposed subdivision targeted lands that harbored unique ecological features and supported traditional recreation, including hunting, fishing, and hiking. In response, MCHT spearheaded a decades-long land conservation effort in the region with a coalition of partners, including the State of Maine, which began landmark protection of the Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land. The Bold Coast Wilderness Preserve is the latest and one of the larger conservation efforts in the region, significantly expanding this remarkable forest block connecting inland forest to the sea.

The Bold Coast Wilderness Preserve stands out for its varied landscape features. Mixed hardwood and deciduous forests blanket the property, with pin cherry, speckled alder, and white ash regenerating in areas previously managed for timber. The property’s water features include 204 acres of wetlands, the largest marsh of which is a Grassy Shrub Marsh ecosystem, classified as “rare/exemplary” by the Maine Natural Areas Program. The property includes more than six miles of stream frontage. East Stream’s headwater starts in the Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land ecological reserve and flows out into Cobscook Bay, making up the northern boundary of the property. The southern boundary of the property is home to a Northern White Cedar Swamp, an important natural community featuring rare mosses and ferns.

The forest is also a haven for wildlife. Within the property, there are two mapped habitat areas for inland waterfowl and wading birds. Both Wiggins Brook and East Stream support resident and sea-run brook trout, with local residents citing East Stream as one of the best brook trout streams in the region.

The forest is home to moose, beaver, grouse, many warblers and other songbirds, snowshoe hare, black bear, coyote, and white-tailed deer, among other species. A bald eagle nesting site has been documented near the headwaters of Wiggins Brook. Salamanders, wood frogs, and other amphibian species thrive in two vernal pools on the property.

A primary goal of this conservation partnership is to allow the land to revert to a more natural state and become increasingly hospitable to current and future wildlife species. The long-range plan is for NEWT to acquire and care for the land, with MCHT holding a forever-wild conservation easement.