A nonprofit has successfully acquired the funding to purchase and control a large parcel of forestland in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness, an incredible achievement in conservation.
The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), the oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization in the U.S., purchased the 29,000-acre Barnard Forest in Piscataquis County, adding to the 100,000 acres it already controls, Maine Public reported.
A $10 million donation from MathWorks, a mathematical computing software company, helped the AMC complete its goal earlier than expected of buying the entirety of the Barnard Forest from the Conservation Fund and the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation.
The protection of the Barnard Forest is crucial because it provides the habitat for a variety of fish, including native brook trout, landlocked smelt, and the spawning grounds for endangered sea-run Atlantic salmon, among its 70 miles of stream corridors, according to the Associated Press.
The AMC aims to preserve the area and keep it healthy, but also wants the public to engage with the beautiful landscape.
"We will immediately be rebuilding the roads, rebuilding the trails. It will be open to the community for all types of recreation, ranging from hiking to biking to ATVing, for anglers for fishing," AMC president and CEO Nicole Zussman told Maine Public.
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The AP also reported that the organization's oversight of the forest will focus on restoration forestry, habitat connectivity, and climate adaptation, as well as contribute to forestry and recreation jobs, part of the organization's $8.39 million annual economic impact in the area.
All the benefits being offered by the AMC's ownership of the land show that conservation efforts don't have to be restrictive or punitive and make nature off-limits. Encouraging people to connect with the land is not only good for their mental health, but it also fosters a real appreciation of conservation efforts and why they're needed.
It's easy for someone to tell you to "save the trees" or "use less plastic," but for many, seeing is believing, and seeing the power, beauty, wonder, and importance of a place like the Barnard Forest can have an even greater impact.
Similar programs have encouraged the same connection around the country. Last year, the Oswit Land Trust bought an area of California's Riverside County near Diamond Valley Lake and San Jacinto Mountain, which is home to several endangered and threatened species.
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Definitely 👍 The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy also created the South Yellow Mountain Preserve in Mitchell and Avery Counties in North Carolina last year, an area further along the Appalachian Trail with a similar need for protection and engagement.
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