Brunswick is purchasing nearly 300 acres to help protect Maquoit Bay

MAINE PUBLIC • November 22, 2022

Brunswick town councilors have unanimously voted to acquire nearly 300 acres of land near Maquoit Bay as a way to protect the local environment. The move comes less than a month after the town extended a development moratorium in the Maquoit Bay watershed, following a softshell clam die-off this summer that city staff say that was linked to warmer weather and nutrient runoff. Staff have warned large-scale development could lead to even more runoff and threaten the local shellfish industry. The town will pay $3.8 million for the land, where developers had been considering building a 900-unit apartment complex. Councilor Kathy Wilson says the purchase is an investment in the town's future. Angela Twitchell, with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, said the purchase would offer an opportunity to still potentially build on the land, but also protect the watershed and ecosystem.