Press

Maine Public Radio: Conservation Groups Pursue Massive Western Maine Land Deal

March 27, 2025

Magalloway featured on Maine Public Radio

By Peter McGuire, climate desk reporter

A quartet of environmental organizations plan to permanently conserve 78,000 acres in the Magalloway region of western Maine.

Organizers said they have secured an option agreement from landowner Bayroot LLC to preserve the land. Under the plan, Bayroot, would keep more than 62,000 acres but an easement on the land would prohibit development. Yale University is a majority owner of the land company and the property is logged by Wagner Forest Management.

But another 11,000 acres near the headwaters of the Magalloway River would be acquired by the Northeast Wilderness Trust to create a new wilderness preserve. Meanwhile the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust would own another 4,000 acres conserved for wildlife habitat and recreation including corridors along the Magalloway and Little Magalloway rivers.

The groups, including The Nature Conservancy and Forest Society of Maine aim to raise $62 million for the land deal.

“This effort supports our region’s climate resiliency, helps prevent the loss of biodiversity, and preserves public access,” said Rangely Lakes Heritage Trust David Miller in a press release.

Read the full article online at Maine Public

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