MAINE PUBLIC • September 15, 2023
After a new land purchase, the Appalachian Mountain Club is permanently protecting nearly 130,000 contiguous acres of forestland in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness. On Thursday, the group announced the purchase -- with the Conservation Fund -- of the nearly 29,000-acre Barnard Forest, which is adjacent to more than 100,000 acres it already holds. The AMC's President and CEO, Nicole Zussman, said the $15.2 million purchase of the property will create nearly 130,000 contiguous acres of protected land — more than twice the size of Acadia National Park — and will allow for continued responsible forestry, carbon sequestration, and other uses.