A new report shows that Maine’s 84 land trusts have conserved nearly three million acres — almost 15 percent of Maine’s land base — protecting both public access and natural resource-based industries at a scale that’s unmatched in most parts of the country.
That’s partially because Maine has very little public land, said Jeff Romano, director of Public Policy at Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
“Our neighbor to the west, New Hampshire, has over 20 percent of its land publicly owned, whereas in Maine, it’s less than 7 percent,” he said.
The report finds that Maine ranks far behind many other states for its overall percentage of public lands, in part because government ownership is low.
Most land trusts remain on the tax rolls, and Romano said more than 6,000 volunteers are working to restore marshes, preserve wildlife corridors and create hiking trails as public demand for more conservation land increases.
“Volunteers and donors around the state have stepped up to conserve these lands,” Romano said.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.