Frenchman Bay Conservancy moves forward with largest conservation project in the land trust's history
The purchase of nearly 6,000 acres in Amherst, Maine, will be known moving forward as Headwater Bluffs.
Frenchman Bay Conservancy recently announced the purchase of nearly 6,000 acres in Amherst, Maine, to be known moving forward as Headwater Bluffs.
The 5,793 conserved acres are crucial to the health of the woods and waters of Maine’s eastern Hancock County.
“Headwater Bluffs is a key piece to a larger conservation puzzle in Downeast Maine,” said Austin Schuver, Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s director of land protection. “Conserving this unique property brings the total of contiguous conserved lands to over 43,000 acres that protects woods, waters, wildlife and the character of our region.”
Headwater Bluffs is the land trust’s largest acquisition to date and offers the greatest conservation impact of any single project in Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s history. The drinking water supplies, commercial fishing grounds, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities that this special corner of Maine is known for — they all begin at the headwaters of the Union River.
Headwater Bluffs’ forests and wetlands will keep local drinking water clean and help communities become more resilient to climate change. Its dense woods, glistening waters and rugged bluffs will give residents and visitors increased access to more of what they love about the region: more space to hike, climb, hunt, fish and connect with nature.
Frenchman Bay Conservancy thanks the property’s owners for their willingness to permanently protect their land. The land trust raised nearly $4,000,000 for the purchase and future care of Headwater Bluffs with support from generous individuals and private foundations.
Frenchman Bay Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust in Hancock, Maine, protects and cares for local lands and waters for the benefit of communities and nature.