Maine has the most land trusts per capita of any state, according to new report

A new report shows that Maine's 84 land trusts have conserved nearly three million acres, 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. "New Hampshire, has over 20% of its land publicly owned, whereas in Maine, it's less than 7%," he said. The report finds that Maine ranks far behind many other states for its overall percentage of public lands. 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.