Downeast Maine is Under Threat.
Our vast forests – vital to absorbing greenhouse gases and sustaining clean water supplies – are in danger of being fragmented and lost to sprawling development. Climate change is disrupting natural and human communities. Growing development in our small coastal communities is eliminating critical public access to the shoreline. And a Norwegian company’s plan to build one of the largest fish farms in and around Frenchman Bay has sent a stern warning of industrial-scale development and the damaging pollution it can bring.
There are still valuable stretches of undeveloped land and unspoiled shoreline that we can protect – landscapes that will return the favor by removing planet-warming carbon from the air, maintaining clean water, safeguarding our fisheries, and defending us against the impacts of floods and storms. By keeping a vigilant watch on development plans, we can work with our local communities to stand up against projects that threaten to pollute our ecosystems and compromise traditional livelihoods. And by partnering with local schools, we can foster a connection to Maine’s natural treasures – and emphasize the importance of protecting them.
This is our watershed moment.
Join us in enabling specific, meaningful actions that will allow future generations to experience the same vast, unbroken forests, clean water, clean air, and access to the open space that we all enjoy – and rely on – today.
Our Plan
Protect Land, Sea, and Livelihoods
Frenchman Bay Conservancy is launching a $10 million, 3-year comprehensive campaign to seize urgent opportunities to protect land and water in the Union River and Frenchman Bay watersheds east to the Hancock County line.
We have three goals…
GOAL 1
Permanently protect 10,000 new acres of land and prevent damaging development of Frenchman Bay.
Today large tracts of undeveloped land still exist in our region that can aid us in our fight against climate change, provide wildlife with safe corridors, and protect local livelihoods. We plan to double our portfolio of protected land by adding 10,000 new acres – an area four times greater than the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park.
Land Protection Priorities:
- Protecting undeveloped shorelines and preserving access for local harvesters in the Frenchman Bay Watershed.
- Conserving large, undeveloped landscapes along the Upper Union River and its major tributaries, and connecting public green spaces along the Lower Union River.
- Increasing connected lands within the Schoodic to Schoodic wildlife corridor so that wildlife can move and migrate freely.
GOAL 2
Enhance stewardship of our preserves to maximize benefits to nature and people.
Our duty as a nationally-accredited land trust is not just to protect land, but also to care for and steward it forever so that it remains an asset to conservation and our community. This campaign will enable our stewardship program to grow in concert with our expanding portfolio of conserved land, and to build the depth and expertise of our stewardship staff.
GOAL 3
Expand outdoor education in our local schools and outdoor opportunities for all.
An appreciation of the outdoors gained at a young age can shape a lifetime, and as the local land trust in eastern Hancock County we believe it is our responsibility to provide opportunities for future generations to connect with, and learn from, the land that we help protect. Through an established partnership with Maine Outdoor School, FBC provides the opportunity for students to participate in field trips and weekly lessons where our conserved lands become the classroom. Students are connected to the places where they live and the environment around them – fostering a connection to Maine’s natural treasures all while meeting state-mandated education standards. Your support allows us to continue reaching all 10 public elementary schools in our service area.
FBC Conserved Lands
Since 1987, FBC has conserved over 10,000 acres of land. Our land protection efforts focus on areas that are essential to maintaining the ecological, social, and economic health of our region, from the Union River and Frenchman Bay watersheds east to the Hancock County line.
With your support, we plan to permanently protect 10,000 new acres of land within the following focus areas: Upper Union River Watershed, Lower Union River Watershed, Frenchman Bay Watershed, and the Schoodic to Schoodic Corridor. This rapid pace is in response to the growing threat of climate change and development in our region, and focuses on areas that protect vulnerable habitat, enhance landscape connectivity, and preserve public access for our local communities.
We need your help.
“Join us so that together, we can protect our special part of Downeast Maine, and allow future generations to enjoy the same forests, clean water, clean air, and access to open space that we enjoy – and rely on – today.”
– AARON DORITY, FBC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
