One thousand, four hundred acres of forest land near Sebago Lake have been permanently protected through a purchase facilitated by the Trust for Public Land. The Trust’s director for Maine, Betsy Cook, said the Tiger Hill Community Forest will benefit the local community and protect the quality of Sebago Lake, which serves as the water supply for Greater Portland.
The Portland Water District actually contributed $345,000 of the $1.6 million project cost.
“My understanding is that, because there are so many wetlands, so many streams on this property and because the Northwest River runs right next to it, all of those streams and the river flow into Sebago and so by protecting the upstream forest, you’re actually having a huge impact on the quality of the lake,” Cook said.
Cook said efforts to protect the land gained momentum a year and a half ago when the property was listed for sale, bringing fears it could be developed. She said the ultimate goal of a collaboration called Sebago Clean Waters is to conserve an additional 33,000 acres and that the 1,400 acre Tiger Hill Community Forest is a critical milestone.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.