Magalloway Collaborative Closes Landmark Deal Conserving 78,000 Acres in Western Maine

Drone view of the Magalloway River in Maine’s northern forest. JERRY MONKMAN

August 7, 2026

A landmark 78,000-acre conservation project in western Maine has officially closed, marking a once-in-a-generation achievement for land conservation in the state. Drummond Woodsum was proud to serve as legal counsel to the four nonprofit conservation organizations comprising the Magalloway Collaborative, helping negotiate and bring to a successful close a complex $62 million transaction that permanently protects one of the most ecologically significant landscapes in the Northeast for future generations. The project was funded through foundations, federal grant sources, and hundreds of individual donors.

Attorneys from Drummond Woodsum’s Land Use & Conservation Practice Group provided strategic legal counsel throughout the project, helping to negotiate the complex agreements that made this achievement possible. The legal framework created reflects a shared commitment by the partners and landowner to the long-term stewardship and sustainable management of these conserved lands.

The Nature Conservancy led the dialogue with the landowner and coordinated the effort, while the other three members of the Magalloway Collaborative acquired lands or conservation easement interests that together permanently protect the land within the project area:

  • Forest Society of Maine acquired a permanent conservation easement covering more than 62,500 acres. The conservation easement allows the landowner to manage timber harvesting throughout much of the property while restricting future development and securing substantial forested buffers around key streams. It will also ensure continued public access for hunting, fishing, boating, and other recreational and cultural uses.
  • Northeast Wilderness Trust Corporation purchased more than 11,200 acres within the remote headwaters of the Magalloway River and the upland forests of Ledge Ridge and Rump Mountain to establish a new wilderness preserve that will expand upon adjacent ecological reserves in New Hampshire’s Connecticut Lakes Region.
  • Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Inc. acquired over 4,400 acres of land for recreation and wildlife habitat, including corridors along the Little Magalloway and Magalloway Rivers and a forest tract southeast of Route 16 near Cupsuptic Lake. The organization will undertake restoration efforts throughout the project area to improve water quality, reconnect native brook trout habitats, and strengthen the long-term health of the watershed.

This region’s expansive forests, cold-water rivers, wetlands, and wildlife habitat make it one of Maine’s most extraordinary natural places and have earned international recognition as a conservation priority. The project also connects more than half a million acres of conserved land into a continuous conservation corridor, preserving wildlife habitat, supporting sustainable forestry, maintaining public recreation, and providing an important migration pathway for species adapting to climate change. The region hosts exceptional habitat for wildlife, including Canada lynx, black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, more than 20 species of warbler, and one of the country’s last self-sustaining brook trout populations. These lands are part of the homeland of the Wabanaki Tribal Nations, the People of the Dawnland, and it is the intent of the Collaborative to create opportunities for Wabanaki Peoples to strengthen and re-establish cultural and spiritual connections with these lands.

The Drummond Woodsum team was led by attorneys Lisa Whitt and Stacey Caulk, with assistance from attorneys Hannah Vilas, David Kallin, and Lynn Donohue, title paralegal Kerry Hryhor, and legal assistant Molly Rondeau, as well as others who contributed their expertise on discrete but essential components of the project.

Conservation projects of this magnitude require sophisticated legal guidance across real estate, title, and land use matters, together with strategic negotiation and coordination among conservation organizations, landowners, funders, and countless others working together toward a shared vision.

It has been a privilege for Drummond Woodsum to represent the Magalloway Collaborative throughout this extraordinary effort. This project would not have been possible without the dedication, commitment, and perseverance of everyone involved. We are proud to have been part of such a historic project that will benefit Maine’s forests, wildlife, communities, and outdoor traditions for generations to come.

Read more here:

Link to Maine Public story: https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2026-07-27/western-maine-conservation-project-offers-ecologically-important-reprieve-for-wildlife

Link to Press Herald Story: Historic land deal clinched, conserving 78K acres in western Maine

Magalloway Collaborative website: https://magalloway.org/