Moxie Pond wilderness conserved

MAINE PUBLIC • September 29, 2026

A new conservation purchase will protect nearly three square miles of forest and lakefront in Somerset County from logging and development. The new Moxie Pond Wilderness Preserve, covering more than 1,800 acres, is adjacent to the Appalachian Trail corridor and connects to nearby conserved land. "There are a lot of excellent conservation attributes with this property, including several miles of brook trout habitat in cold mountain streams," said Peter Mandych, land conservation director at Northeast Wilderness Trust. The property includes a mile of undeveloped shoreline on Moxie Pond. The land will be managed as a wild space where logging and development are prohibited. But it will be open for recreation, hunting and access to existing ATV and snowmobile trails. The $3.2 million purchase was organized by the Wilderness Trust and Trust for Public Land.