Hundreds of thousands of acres of Washington County land will be protected from development thanks to a seven-year fundraising campaign that netted more than $34 million.
The joint effort between the Massachusetts-based New England Forestry Foundation and the Downeast Lakes Land Trust, based in Grand Lake Stream, will permanently protect 324,000 acres in Washington County, including 445 miles of lakeshore and 1,500 miles of riverfront.
The effort began in 1999 as concerns mounted over development pressures in Washington County. Jake Lea, a conservationist in Grand Lake Stream who headed the fundraising committee, said in a press release that the protected area is one “that just screams, ‘Leave me this way!'”