Large-scale Conservation Effort Makes Maine More Resilient

In September of this year, The Nature Conservancy acquired a 13,500-acre property west of Cherryfield to add to their Spring River Preserve, which now totals 23,500 acres. This is one in a string of conserved properties linking the Downeast coast to the northern forest.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust, one of many partners in the project, contributed funding to make it possible. “This work improves fish passage and the quality of the land along the shore, creates more recreational opportunities, and restores ecosystems critical to the sustainability of Maine’s fishing industry,” says MCHT president Tim Glidden. “This is all part of our efforts to create resilience in the face of a changing climate.”

Large-scale land conservation efforts like this are increasingly important as Maine’s plants and animals migrate and adapt to warming temperatures and other impacts of climate change. At Spring River Preserve, they have room to roam and a better shot at survival.

This conservation success also benefits important aquatic habitat in the Narraguagus River watershed, which has been a focus area for MCHT’s Rivers Initiative. Over the past several years, we’ve conserved several other land parcels in the Narraguagus watershed and we continue our work with local communities and state and federal agencies to improve fish passage at some key sites along the river.

“This 13,500-acre conservation project represents an important step in our ongoing efforts in this region,” says MCHT project manager Jacob van de Sande.

Learn more about this project from our partners at The Nature Conservancy.