MAINE PUBLIC • November 24, 2025
In the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine, an ambitious effort is underway to conserve tens of thousands of acres in historic Wabanaki territory. For centuries, these have been prized hunting and fishing grounds, home to bear, lynx, deer and moose and one of the last strongholds of native brook trout in the country. But with a recent construction boom, forest fragmentation and rising temperatures, woods and wildlife are under threat. The Magalloway Conservation Initiative aims to safeguard both while also protecting public access to the region. The groups have until the end of May to raise $62 million for a conservation easement. Right now, they're a little over halfway to the goal. Bayroot LLC, an investment company controlled by Yale University, owns the land, which is managed for timber. Under the terms of the easement, more than 60,000 acres would continue to be harvested.