Project: Machias River
Location: Maine
Acreage: 33,808
FY09 Forest Legacy Request: $3.45 million
Project Sponsor: Group of national, regional, and local land organizations and land trusts.
The Machias River Project Phase III: Washington Bald Mountain and Wabassus Lake builds upon the nationally recognized success of Phases I and II, the Downeast Lakes Forestry Partnership and other forest conservation in Downeast Maine. In Phase III the State and partners will use FLP funding to acquire 33,808 acres of working forest Conservation Easements on two tracts. These forests fill gaps between protected lands and have outstanding conservation values, including lakefront, streams, and diverse wetlands and wildlife habitats. The Easements will secure more than 88% of the upper Machias watershed from development and ensure sustainable forest management and public access. DLLT will acquire the underlying fee with the Wabassus Lake Easement and manage it with the 27,080-acre Farm Cove Community Forest. In all, 452,196 acres of conservation land will be linked in the U.S., abutting 914,673 acres of Crown Land in Canada.
Project: Katahdin Forest Expansion
Location: Maine
Acreage: 19,647
FY09 Forest Legacy Request: $5.1 million
Project Sponsor: Local towns and land trusts as well as regional and national land trusts and AMC.
The Katahdin Region, anchored by Baxter State Park, represents Maine’s largest block of contiguous conservation lands (over 500,000 acres) including 194,751 acres of easement lands protected through the Katahdin Forest Project (FY’05 Legacy). The Katahdin Forest Expansion seeks to add five critical parcels, totaling 19,647 acres, to these conservation holdings. The three northern tracts (East Branch tracts) are located east of Baxter Park on and near the spectacular East Branch of the Penobscot River. Acquisition of the East Branch tracts will secure critical pieces of a popular snowmobile trail network. Further to the south, BPL seeks to acquire easements on two tracts totaling 8,044 acres surrounding Seboeis Lake. The Seboeis tracts include about 19 miles of shore and island frontage and would complete the State’s conservation ownership around Seboeis Lake, a wilderness lake offering outstanding views of Mount Katahdin.
Project: Crotched Mountain
Location: New Hampshire
Acreage: 1,165
FY09 Forest Legacy Request: $1.3 million
Project Sponsor: group of national, regional, and local organizations, including the AMC, and several state legislators
This project is the top-ranked project in New Hampshire and is part of the Quabbin to Cardigan Partnership. The Crotched Mountain project seeks to protect its 1,165-acre certified Tree Farm in southern New Hampshire, continuing a 50-year tradition of integrating exemplary forest stewardship with critical care for people with disabilities, through the acquisition of a conservation easement. The non-profit Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center (CMRC) has long managed this mountainous property surrounding its educational and medical facility for forest products, wildlife, biological diversity, protection of public water supplies, rehabilitative therapy, and public recreation. The project will protect working forests and related resources while empowering CMRC to establish the nation’s most significant center for universally accessible outdoor recreation, including recreation by visitors with physical disabilities. In addition to its own attributes, Crotched Mountain is also the northern anchor of a proposed 15-mile conservation and recreation corridor.
Project: Green Acre Woodlands
Location: New Hampshire
Acreage: 6,578
FY09 Forest Legacy Request: $3.6 million
Project Sponsor: Quabbin to Cardigan Partnership
The Green Acre Woodlands project would conserve 6,578 acres of ecologically exceptional, sustainably-managed working forest in central NH. The project is a strategic conservation priority for the Quabbin to Cardigan Initiative (Q2C), a landscape-scale, public-private conservation partnership operating in the Monadnock Highlands of NH and MA. The project is closely aligned with the priorities of the NH AON, and is located in one of the state’s original FLAs. The project is part of larger effort to connect already substantial conservation investments to achieve cumulative conservation at the landscape scale. The project would protect important ecosystem services, including surface and ground water, fish and wildlife habitat, unique forest communities, and recreational opportunities. The project would conserve an impeccably managed working forest that supports the forest products economy and provides local jobs. Portions of the Green Acres tracts are under imminent threat of sell-off due to financial obligations of the landowner.
Project: Eden Forest
Location: Vermont
Acreage: 5,727
FY09 Forest Legacy Request: $4 million
Project Sponsor: group of national, regional, and local organizations
Eden Forest is a large contiguous timber tract of 5,727 acres of high quality northern hardwoods with mature stands of sugar maple, ash, and yellow birch. Protected lands will be managed for quality timber for over 50 years and with excellent forest roads. Eden Forest is within a 30,000-acre block of ‘core’ unfragmented forest and adjacent to 24,000 acres of conserved land. Shares 4 miles of boundary with the Long Trail corridor, the nation’s oldest long-distance hiking trail and one of Vermont’s cultural resources. It includes more than 46 miles of streams and 9 wetlands to make up the Gihon River Headwaters. Lamoille Watershed Plan recognized protecting the Gihon River Headwaters for it’s near pristine natural condition, wildlife and fish habitat, timber, and location to protected land. Historically, it has provided numerous recreational activities – hiking, hunting, and snowmobiling.
Project: Lake Umbagog Wildlife Refuge
Location: New Hampshire and Maine
Acreage: 2540
FY09 LWCF Request: $2 million
Project Sponsor: The Nature Conservancy and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Lake Umbagog NWR is seeking $2 million from FY09 LWCF to acquire anumber of key additions from willing sellers that will greatly enhance the integrity of the refuge’s wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. The refuge is another centerpiece of our Mahoosuc Initiative—these acquisitions will feed the larger community-led conservation effort in the Mahoosuc region.
Project: Appalachian Trail Corridor – Mahoosucs Range
Location: New Hampshire and Maine
Acreage: 4700
FY09 LWCF Request: $2.5 million
Project Sponsor: The Conservation Fund
Asking for money to conserve approximately 4,700 highly sensitive and scenic acres that lie at the geographic and spiritual core of our Mahoosuc Initiative. Leaders in Berlin and other Coos County communities have made clear that Success Township is a cornerstone for the region—this project will help draw tourism by conserving the most famed section of the Appalachian Trail while helping to facilitate eventual conservation of the larger working forest landscape that lies to its north.
Project: Silvio Conte Refuge
Location: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont
Acreage: up to 1000
FY09 LWCF Request: $5 million
Project Sponsor: The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land
The Friends of Silvio O. Conte NFWR is seeking $5.065 million from FY09 LWCF to complete important projects in all four states. In particular, this includes important additions to the Pondicherry Unit that will enhance recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat at this highly popular recreation area.
