THE FORKS, Maine — After four years of funding delays, two conservation groups announced Friday they have purchased an 8,159-acre parcel that will provide the public with access to the Cold Stream forest in western Maine. The purchase also will protect valuable deer wintering and brook trout habitat.
The Trust for Public Land and Trout Unlimited purchased the land from Weyerhaeuser for $7.34 million. Funding for the project came from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program ($5.5 million) and the Lands for Maine’s Future program ($1.5 million). The LMF funds were approved in 2012, but release of those funds was delayed — along with another $10 million for other projects — by Gov. Paul LePage.
According to BDN reports, state lawmakers in January agreed unanimously to revive $6.5 million in LMF bond funding that expired because LePage refused to sign off on the borrowing.
Included in the Cold Stream forest parcel are seven wild brook trout ponds and more than 3,000 acres of deer wintering areas.
“I heard about the brook trout resources in Cold Stream long before I ever fished there,” Jeff Reardon, Maine Brook Trout Project director for Trout Unlimited, said in a news release. “Cold Stream is one of the most pristine watersheds for brook trout in the nation. And whether you prefer fishing tiny brooks, undeveloped ponds or the brawling Kennebec River, this purchase protects the habitat that supplies those fish.”
Maine’s U.S. senators praised the conservation effort.
“Our environment is an integral part of both our state’s identity and its economy, which is why we all have a responsibility to work together to preserve our natural resources,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said in a joint statement. “In protecting the Cold Stream Forest, we are taking another step forward in building on the long and proud traditions of conservation, public access to recreation, and working forests in our state that support jobs. We applaud the Trust for Public Land for their work in preserving this beautiful and vibrant area, and we pledge to continue to support federal initiatives, like the Forest Legacy Program, that help make these projects possible.”
According to the news release, Trout Unlimited identified the Cold Stream area as a priority for conservation more than 10 years ago. The purchase will help protect the trout fishery in the Kennebec and Dead rivers, as well as in several ponds and Cold Stream itself.
An official for Weyerhaeuser, the previous owner, said the company supports the conservation of the land.
“With this sale, we are pleased that these lands and waterways will be conserved forever to benefit wildlife habitat and provide recreational access,” Weyerhaeuser senior land manager Luke Muzzy said.
