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From The Ground Up: Magalloway Conservation Initiative Aims to Protect 78,000 Acres in Western Maine
June 9, 2025
As Featured in From The Ground Up, a digital publication of Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities Written By Marissa Latshaw
A Collaborative Conservation Effort
The Magalloway Collaborative comprises The Nature Conservancy in Maine (TNC); Forest Society of Maine (FSM); Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust (RLHT); and Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT), a Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities partner. Together, these organizations are working to raise $62 million by May 2026 to fund the project, which represents one of the most significant land conservation efforts in the region.
David Miller, Executive Director of RLHT, emphasized the project’s importance:
“We have an incredible opportunity before us with the Magalloway project to conserve 78,000 acres and effectively connect more than 500,000 acres of conserved lands to the east and west. This effort supports our region’s climate resiliency, helps prevent the loss of biodiversity, and preserves public access.”
Balancing Preservation and Sustainable Use
The project area, currently owned by Bayroot LLC and managed by Wagner Forest Management, will see a multifaceted approach to conservation:
- Managed Timberland: Approximately 62,500 acres will remain under Bayroot’s ownership, with a conservation easement held by Forest Society of Maine. This easement restricts future development while allowing intensive forestry practices to continue, ensuring the land’s economic viability.
- Wilderness Preserve: NEWT is playing a leading role to permanently protect 11,200 acres of this land as a wilderness preserve, giving the landscape a chance to rest and heal through rewilding. The northern section of the parcel, encompassing the headwaters of the Magalloway River and upland forests of Ledge Ridge and Rump Mountain, will be protected to enhance forest and biological diversity.
- Recreation and Habitat Restoration: RLHT will own and apply ecological forestry practices to manage over 4,000 acres for public access and wildlife habitat restoration, including corridors along the Little Magalloway and Magalloway Rivers.
Read the full article on From The Ground Up, which features conversations about conservation, climate and communities in New England, a digital publication of Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities.
Partner Details
Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust
Since its inception in 1991, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust (RLHT) has conserved over 125,000 acres in western Maine. RLHT’s mission is to sustain the ecological, economic, and social vitality of the Rangeley Region by conserving, restoring, and stewarding its lands and waters for present and future generations. RLHT works on the ground to restore habitats, build climate resiliency in the region, and conserve biodiversity in one of the most ecologically significant landscapes in North America. RLHT also supports and practices sustainable forestry and connects the community to conservation through a broad network of public-access trails. Learn more at rlht.org.
Forest Society of Maine
Forest Society of Maine, a statewide land trust established in 1984, assists landowners, families, and communities to conserve forestland across the state for sustainable forest management, recreation, wildlife habitat, and historic and cultural values. Over the past 40 years, FSM has helped conserve more than one million acres, making it the seventh largest land trust in the country by conserved acres. More information about the Forest Society of Maine can be found at www.fsmaine.org.
Northeast Wilderness Trust
Northeast Wilderness Trust is a regional land trust that focuses exclusively on protecting wilderness areas—lands permanently protected as forever wild, where natural processes direct the ebb and flow of life. With its headquarters in Vermont, staff in multiple states, and board members across the Northeast, the Wilderness Trust (www.newildernesstrust.org) protects more than 93,000 acres in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. TNC is working to make a lasting difference in 81 countries and territories and uses a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, tribes, the private sector, and other partners. The Appalachians are one of four current global focal areas for TNC. Co-founded in 1956 by Rachel Carson, TNC Maine has helped protect almost 2.5 million acres and currently owns and manages around 300,000 acres in the state. To learn more, visit www.nature.org/maine or follow @TNCMaine on social media.
Media contacts:
Molly Shaw
Director of Communications, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust
mshaw@rlht.org | 207-615-6659
Richard Knox
Director of Communications, Northeast Wilderness Trust
richard@newildernesstrust.org | 207-242-5578