This press release first appeared in the Penbay Pilot as “Midcoast Conservancy preserves 327 acres as forever-wild in Montville and Freedom” on July 1, 2025.

Midcoast Conservancy, a regional land trust, said July 1 that 327 acres of ecologically vital forestland and wetlands in the northern headwaters of the Sheepscot River in Freedom  and Montville. The acreage includes a crucial river system for many species, including the endangered Atlantic salmon which can only be found in eight U.S. rivers, according to a July 1 news release from the Conservancy.

The addition of the parcels expands Midcoast Conservancy’s Northern Headwaters Preserve to over 1,750 contiguous acres — an area of great significance in the Sheepscot watershed, surrounded by protected lands on its northern and eastern boundaries.

“This conservation success is the result of powerful partnerships with Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT) and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and generous support from Maine Community Foundation and The Butler Foundation,” the release said.

Click here to read the full press release.