BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 3, 2023
In May, the state completed the purchase of a 6,578-acre parcel near Mt. Abraham known as Perham Stream that was previously managed by a timber company, so that it could be put into conservation. Not far away, another 7,062 acres around the Quill Hill recreation area was put into a conservation easement. Much of the land will remain open to logging. What helped seal the deal to conserve both the Quill Hill and Perham Stream parcels was the federal Forest Legacy Program, which kicked in $7 million. The goal of FLP is to conserve privately owned land, and it’s had an especially big impact in Maine, accounting for a quarter of its total acreage. And there’s more on the horizon. Betsy Cook, of the Trust for Public Land, says another 3,600 acres next to the Quill Hill parcel is slated for protection through FLP.