$1.4M raised to conserve swath of woodland on Hancock County mountain

Courtesy / Blue Hill Heritage Trust The view of Penobscot Bay from newly conserved land on Mount Togus is expected to be part of the draw to the area.

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By Staff

Three nonprofits are looking to enhance a key Maine recreational area with the $1.4 million conservation of 336 acres on a mountain in Hancock County.

Blue Hill Heritage Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the Conservation Fund together raised the money and plan to spend $800,000 to purchase the land, on Wallamatogus Mountain, about 10 miles north of Castine. The peak is also called Mount Togus.

In addition, the fundraising gathered $600,000 for long-term care of the property and transaction costs.

The groups reached the fundraising goal in less than a year — sooner than expected — because of two major grants: a $326,000 award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, and a $400,000 Land for Maine’s Future grant.

The Conservation Fund, a national land trust, has been holding the property for up to three years while Blue Hill Heritage Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust collaborated to raise the money. Now that fundraising is complete, it’s expected the purchase will close by the end of the year.

The acreage is on the south slope of the mountain and provides views of Penobscot Bay, nearby coastal islands and the Bagaduce River watershed.

There are large areas of forest and wetlands that provide hunting grounds with a diverse range of habitat. A committee of people from the town of Penobscot has been assembled to help advise BHHT on managing the property. Future funds may come from the community for desired projects, such as a horizon map, benches or other small amenities.

The project has been part of a larger initiative by BHHT and MCHT to conserve land in the Bagaduce watershed.

The Conservation Fund has worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than 8.5 million acres of land, including nearly 466,000 acres in Maine.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust maintains a network of almost 150 coastal and island preserves and leads the 80-member Maine Land Trust Network.