Protecting One of the Last Expansive Forests on the Eastern Seaboard
The dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss make conservation of interconnected habitat more urgent than ever. Maine’s native plants and animals, 75 percent of which are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, need these interconnected habitat blocks to adapt. In response, Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT) and Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) partnered to conserve 2,037 acres of forest in the Downeast region—linking expansive preserved lands, contributing to a landscape-scale effort to protect and restore watersheds, and securing public access for hunting, fishing, and quiet recreation.
In the late 1980s, development pressure in Maine reached a section of Washington County known as the Bold Coast. A vast proposed subdivision targeted lands that harbored unique ecological features and supported traditional recreation, including hunting, fishing, and hiking. To address this risk, MCHT spearheaded a decades-long land conservation effort in the region with a coalition of partners, including the State of Maine, which began with landmark protection of the Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land. Bold Coast Wilderness Preserve is the latest and one of the larger conservation efforts in the region, significantly expanding this remarkable forest block connecting inland forest to the sea.
