A landmark conservation project in western Maine has officially closed, permanently protecting more than 78,000 acres in the Magalloway River region while preserving public access for hunting, fishing, paddling, snowmobiling and other outdoor recreation.
The project, first announced in March 2025 after conservation groups reached an agreement with Bayroot LLC and Wagner Forest Management, was contingent on raising $62 million before it could close. The completed effort connects more than 500,000 acres of contiguous conserved land across western Maine and neighboring New Hampshire through a partnership among Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Forest Society of Maine, Northeast Wilderness Trust and The Nature Conservancy.
The conservation deal protects wildlife habitat while maintaining the region’s working forest. More than 62,500 acres will remain privately owned and managed for sustainable forestry under a permanent conservation easement held by Forest Society of Maine, preventing future development while allowing timber harvesting and forest management to continue.
Northeast Wilderness Trust acquired more than 11,200 acres to establish a new public wilderness preserve encompassing the remote headwaters of the Magalloway River and the forests surrounding Ledge Ridge and Rump Mountain. Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust now owns and manages more than 4,400 acres, including land along the Magalloway and Little Magalloway rivers and a forest tract near Cupsuptic Lake, where it plans to restore river habitat for native brook trout.
The Magalloway River watershed is widely recognized as one of the nation’s last strongholds for self-sustaining native brook trout. The conservation easement also establishes additional 100-foot protective buffers along high-priority brook trout streams identified by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, while the project protects habitat for Canada lynx, moose, black bear, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse and more than 20 species of warblers.
The partners also acknowledged the Magalloway lands and waters as part of the homeland of the Wabanaki Tribal Nations and said they hope the project creates new opportunities for Wabanaki people to strengthen and re-establish cultural and spiritual connections to the area.
An aerial view shows Parmachenee Lake in Maine’s northern forest. The area is among the lands protected through the new conservation project. Credit: Courtesy of Ben Pearson 
Drone view of canoeists on the Magalloway River, just north of Parmachenee Lake in Maine’s northern forest. Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Monkman 
Drone view of the north end of Aziscohos Lake in Maine’s northern forest in North Oxford. Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Monkman 
Drone view of the Magalloway River in Maine’s northern forest. Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Monkman 
Drone view of the Magalloway River and Ledge Ridge (Rump Mountain) in Maine’s northern forest. Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Monkman
Existing recreational access will remain largely unchanged. The property will continue to be accessible from Route 16 and a network of private forest roads, with boating access available at Aziscohos Lake and several hand-carry access points along the Magalloway River. Snowmobiling will continue on established trails, including ITS-84, and Registered Maine Guides may continue leading hunting, fishing and wildlife-viewing trips on the property.
“The Magalloway project ensures that future generations can enjoy paddling, hunting, and fishing in this special place,” Registered Maine Guide and Rangeley Adventure Company owner Seth Laliberte said in a statement.
“As a guide and business owner, access to wild places like the Magalloway is essential to our outdoor economy and the way of life that makes the Rangeley region so special.”
Beyond protecting wildlife habitat today, the project is also intended to strengthen the region’s resilience to climate change by preserving a large, connected landscape that allows plants and animals to move across the Northern Appalachians as conditions change. The permanently protected forests and wetlands, including more than 11,000 acres that will be allowed to grow old in a wilderness preserve and along rivers and streams, are also expected to increase carbon storage and sequestration.
Although the transaction has closed, fundraising continues. Project partners said they have secured 97% of the project’s $62 million cost and are seeking an additional $1.9 million to complete the campaign.
