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Gaining Ground

Maine

6,043,303

Acres Protected

That’s about 4,578,260 football fields!

Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

Visitors to Land Trust Properties

534,550

Visitors in 2020, more than double that of 2015.

Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

95%

Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

Number of People Served

93,316

Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

Miles of Trails

768

Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

Miles With Universal Access

24

Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

75%

Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

  • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

  • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

  • People who identify as LGBTQ+

  • People living with disabilities

  • Veterans

Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

  • Youth education and development

  • Community and economic development

  • Food security and agriculture

  • Health and wellness

  • Social and environmental justice

Demographics

Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

Maine land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

Active Land Trusts

72

A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

Learn more about land trusts
Alliance Member Land Trusts

52

Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

Learn about the land trust alliance
Accredited Land Trusts

28

Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

Learn about land trust accreditation

People

  • Members/financial supporters

    45,825

  • Volunteers

    7,339

  • Full-time staff

    215

  • Part-time staff

    155

  • Board members

    911

Land Trust Longevity

  • Oldest

    179 years old (1843)

  • Youngest

    17 years old (2005)

  • Median age

    35 years old

Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

81%

Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

31%

Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

  • Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program

  • National Coastal Wetlands Grant Program

  • North American Wetlands Conservation Act

Land Protected

There has been a 31% increase in Maine land protected by land trusts since 2010.

Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Maine lands, waters and ways of life.

2010
2015
2020
Total acres protected
4,600,817
5,778,124
6,043,303
+31%
Under easement
1,916,129
2,352,098
2,484,647
+30%
Owned
830,923
577,074
587,041
0%
Acquired and reconveyed
387,046
878,679
905,997
+134%
Protected by other means
1,466,718
2,019,773
2,065,595
+41%

Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

58%

Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

$293 million

Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

13,900

Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

Making a Difference

Maine land trusts are gaining ground.

Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Maine's most pressing issues.

  • Addressing community needs: Blue Hill Heritage Trust works with Speaking Up for Us of Maine not only to make trails more accessible for those living with developmental and physical disabilities but to create volunteering opportunities. Chris DuPont, one such volunteer, who tracked the growth and development of several plants on the land trust's properties, said, "Being able to work outside and get exercise at the same time is a dream come true."

    Read more

  • Tackling climate change: Warmer winter temperatures in Maine have led to a population boom for the winter moth, an invasive species from Europe. The accredited Cape Elizabeth Land Trust worked with Maine Forest Service officials and landowners to band trees, which trap climbing caterpillars and stop the destructive bugs from laying eggs in the high branches of oak and maple trees, and to release parasitoid flies that feed on winter moths.

    Read more

Land Trusts Working in Maine

Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

7 Lakes Alliance
Belgrade Lakes, ME
9,707 acres protected in ME
Access Fund
Boulder, CO
165 acres protected in ME
American Farmland Trust
Northampton, MA
2,857 acres protected in ME
Androscoggin Land Trust
Auburn, ME
6,538 acres protected in ME
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Harpers Ferry, WV
48,333 acres protected in ME
Bangor Land Trust
Bangor, ME
847 acres protected in ME
Blue Hill Heritage Trust
Blue Hill, ME
12,083 acres protected in ME
Boothbay Region Land Trust
Boothbay Harbor, ME
1,980 acres protected in ME
Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust
Brunswick, ME
3,067 acres protected in ME
Cape Elizabeth Land Trust
Cape Elizabeth, ME
845 acres protected in ME
Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust
Cumberland, ME
1,051 acres protected in ME
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Camden, ME
12,685 acres protected in ME
Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Damariscotta, ME
4,366 acres protected in ME
Downeast Coastal Conservancy
Machias, ME
6,338 acres protected in ME
Downeast Lakes Land Trust
Grand Lake Stream, ME
437,703 acres protected in ME
Downeast Salmon Federation
Columbia Falls, ME
1,899 acres protected in ME
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Memphis, TN
345 acres protected in ME
Falmouth Land Trust
Falmouth, ME
1,161 acres protected in ME
Foothills Land Conservancy
Wilton, ME
228 acres protected in ME
Forest Society of Maine
Bangor, ME
891,825 acres protected in ME
Francis Small Heritage Trust
Limerick, ME
2,165 acres protected in ME
Freeport Conservation Trust
Freeport, ME
1,492 acres protected in ME
Frenchman Bay Conservancy
Hancock, ME
10,011 acres protected in ME
Georges River Land Trust
Rockland, ME
3,932 acres protected in ME
Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust
Orland, ME
5,147 acres protected in ME
Great Works Regional Land Trust
South Berwick, ME
7,920 acres protected in ME
Greater Lovell Land Trust
Lovell, ME
5,244 acres protected in ME
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust
Harpswell, ME
1,732 acres protected in ME
Island Heritage Trust
Deer Isle, ME
1,330 acres protected in ME
Islesboro Islands Trust
Islesboro, ME
1,013 acres protected in ME
Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
Bath, ME
3,882 acres protected in ME
Kennebunk Land Trust
Kennebunk, ME
3,489 acres protected in ME
Kennebunkport Conservation Trust
Cape Porpoise, ME
2,425 acres protected in ME
Kittery Land Trust
Kittery, ME
398 acres protected in ME
Landmark Heritage Trust
Dixmont, ME
700 acres protected in ME
Loon Echo Land Trust
Bridgton, ME
10,087 acres protected in ME
Mahoosuc Land Trust
Bethel, ME
8,777 acres protected in ME
Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust
Portland, ME
43,703 acres protected in ME
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Topsham, ME
152,210 acres protected in ME
Maine Farmland Trust
Belfast, ME
39,113 acres protected in ME
Midcoast Conservancy
Edgecomb, ME
13,160 acres protected in ME
National Park Trust
Rockville, MD
1,499 acres protected in ME
New England Forestry Foundation
Littleton, MA
1,135,488 acres protected in ME
Northeast Wilderness Trust
Montpelier, VT
11,812 acres protected in ME
Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
Schoharie, NY
Oceanside Conservation Trust of Casco Bay
Portland, ME
89 acres protected in ME
Open Space Institute Land Trust
New York, NY
8,576 acres protected in ME
Orono Land Trust
Orono, ME
7,233 acres protected in ME
Phippsburg Land Trust
Phippsburg, ME
1,600 acres protected in ME
Pierce Pond Watershed Trust
Augusta, ME
11,228 acres protected in ME
Presumpscot Regional Land Trust
Gorham, ME
1,549 acres protected in ME
Royal River Conservation Trust
Yarmouth, ME
890 acres protected in ME
Saco Valley Land Trust
Saco, ME
1,216 acres protected in ME
Scarborough Land Conservation Trust
Scarborough, ME
1,555 acres protected in ME
Sebasticook Regional Land Trust
Unity, ME
3,842 acres protected in ME
Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine Land Trust
Augusta, ME
8,346 acres protected in ME
The Conservation Fund
Arlington, VA
405,380 acres protected in ME
The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
Washington, DC
1,235 acres protected in ME
The Kennebec Land Trust
Winthrop, ME
6,929 acres protected in ME
The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA
2,489,366 acres protected in ME
The Trust for Public Land, National Office
San Francisco, CA
116,737 acres protected in ME
Three Rivers Land Trust
Alfred, ME
3,780 acres protected in ME
Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Conway, NH
3,031 acres protected in ME
Vinalhaven Land Trust
Vinalhaven, ME
2,351 acres protected in ME
Western Foothills Land Trust
Norway, ME
7,625 acres protected in ME
Woodie Wheaton Land Trust
Forest City Twp, ME
9,996 acres protected in ME
York Land Trust, Inc.
York, ME
5,035 acres protected in ME