Frenchman Bay Conservancy has closed on the purchase of a 1,921-acre property between Green Lake and Branch Lake in Ellsworth. The property will be permanently conserved, allowing future public access, and protecting essential habitats, wildlands and open space. 

ELLSWORTH, ME— Frenchman Bay Conservancy (FBC) purchased a 1,921-acre property in Ellsworth, permanently protecting essential habitats, wildlands and open space on Route 1A. The property includes 2,000 feet of shoreline on Green Lake, a glacial lake stretching through the towns of Ellsworth and Dedham. Several streams which flow into Green Lake and the Union River also reside on this property, including Boggy Brook.

Frenchman Bay Conservancy will manage the Green Lake Property to protect wildlife habitat, while allowing future public access. Hunting will be allowed by permission, for non-predator species. Green Lake, one of only four lakes in Maine that holds a population of native land-locked salmon, supports the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery that rears endangered Atlantic Salmon. The lake is also home to the southernmost population of Arctic Char. The property on Green Lake will also protect 255 acres of wetlands surrounding Gilpatrick Brook and Big Pond – wetlands that provide critical habitat for inland wading birds and waterfowl. 

This purchase will help connect the shore of Green Lake with conserved lands in the Branch Lake watershed. Though the nearby conserved lands around Branch Lake are not connected to the Green Lake property yet, FBC will explore opportunities to work with willing landowners to conserve their properties. “The Green Lake property is a strategic stepping stone in establishing a wildlife corridor and protecting the watersheds of Branch and Green Lakes.” – Austin Schuver, FBC Land Protection Manager

This acquisition represents a huge success for Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s land protection efforts, as its largest acquisition to date. This purchase also represents the success of FBC’s recent comprehensive capital campaign, A Watershed Moment for Frenchman Bay: From the Forest to the Sea. One of the campaign goals was to conserve 10,000 new acres of land and prevent damaging development of Frenchman Bay and Union River Watersheds. Conserving this property brings FBC one step closer to that goal. 

Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT), a New England regional land trust with a mission to conserve forever wild landscapes for nature and people, helped make this Ellsworth conservation project possible with a financial contribution through its Wildlands Partnership initiative. Northeast Wilderness Trust will hold a conservation easement on this Frenchman Bay Conservancy-owned property in perpetuity. “Northeast Wilderness Trust is proud to partner with Frenchman Bay Conservancy through our Wildlands Partnership to ensure forever-wild conservation of this vital land,” said Tricia Bhatia, Land Conservation Manager and Carbon Specialist at Northeast Wilderness Trust. “Protecting vibrant wildlife habitat and public access yields immense benefits for natural and human communities in this part of Maine.”

For questions or further information, please contact Austin Schuver, FBC Land Protection Manager, at austin@frenchmanbay.org; (207) 422-2328.