Connecting Half a Million Acres: Drummond Woodsum Supports Landmark Conservation Project

Photography by Ben Pearson

Drummond Woodsum is honored to be providing legal support for one of the most ambitious land conservation efforts in New England. When complete, this transformational initiative will permanently conserve 78,000 acres in western Maine, effectively connecting more than 500,000 acres of contiguous conserved land across Maine and New Hampshire, creating corridors that help wildlife move across the landscape. This historic project will improve biodiversity and forest resiliency, safeguard vital ecosystems, contribute to increased carbon sequestration and storage, and bolster the regional economy through sustainable forestry and recreation, including permanent access for hunting and fishing. The Magalloway watershed is world-renowned and is one of the few remaining places in the entire country capable of supporting self-sustaining native brook trout populations in the face of climate change.

Our team, comprised of attorneys Lisa Whitt, Stacey Caulk, Hannah Vilas, and David Kallin, and title paralegal Kerry Hryhor, is proud to be supporting four clients who are collaborating on this unique project: The Nature Conservancy, Forest Society of Maine, Northeast Wilderness Trust, and Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.

This complex work will involve oversight of legal compliance across a multi-party landscape, including:

  • Negotiating a working forest conservation easement to be held by Forest Society of Maine, which will cover over 62,000 acres of land, secure substantial forested buffers around streams and lakes, and allow public access for hunting, fishing and other recreational and cultural uses;
  • The transfer of over  4,000 acres to Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, including corridors along the Little Magalloway and Magalloway Rivers, for public access and wildlife habitat restoration; and
  • The transfer of over 11,000 acres, encompassing the headwaters of the Magalloway River and upland forests of Ledge Ridge and Rump Mountain, to Northeast Wilderness Trust, to be held as forever-wild, giving the landscape a chance to heal through rewilding.

In addition, the Magalloway Collaborative recognizes that the project area is part of the homeland of the Wabanaki tribal nations, and hopes this project will create opportunities for Wabanaki people to strengthen and re-establish their cultural and spiritual caretaking of this area.

Each phase of this project involves navigating legal complexities, and Drummond Woodsum remains committed to providing the legal guidance necessary to see it through to completion. We are exceptionally proud to be part of this collaborative effort, which serves as a model of what can be accomplished through thoughtful partnerships between organizations with a shared vision and complementary strengths.

For Drummond Woodsum, this is more than a practice area—it’s a passion. Our attorneys and staff live in, explore and care deeply about the landscapes we help protect, and we take pride in using our legal expertise to support lasting, meaningful conservation outcomes. That personal connection drives our work and reflects a broader value that runs throughout the firm: using the law as a tool to serve communities, protect natural resources, and create lasting public benefit. We pride ourselves on approaching every project, no matter how big or small, with integrity, creativity, and a deep sense of purpose.