In 2014, Jay LeGore and his friend Jack Fahey pitched in together to buy 62 acres of woods and wetland in Liberty, as temporary custodians of the land. The parcel includes 1300 feet of frontage along the Sheepscot River, and it borders already conserved land to the north.

Says Jay, “I was inspired by the commitment of my fellow volunteers at the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance. We worried that the land would be sold and heavily logged, and Jack and I were glad we could step forward to prevent that from happening.” In 2016, with Jack terminally ill, Jay and his wife Christine together purchased the portion of the property that Jack had held.

For the last five years, Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance, and now Midcoast Conservancy, has worked to raise funds to buy this parcel and over 400 acres nearby. On June 25, Midcoast Conservancy purchased the property, taking one more critical step in putting the pieces together to create a block of over 1100 acres that protect 2.25 miles of frontage on the Sheepscot River. Says Director of Conservation Anna Fiedler, “Within the next two years, all of this land will be conserved for wildlife, water quality, and the human community. The 290+ acre parcel just to the south of the LeGore parcel is slated to be conserved later in 2019, and will be developed as Midcoast Conservancy’s next nature center.”

Jody Jones, Midcoast Conservancy’s executive director, says, “The addition is part of Midcoast Conservancy’s efforts to protect land strategically, using limited resources to provide as much benefit as possible to both wildlife and people.”

The property includes 34 acres of wetland, and the LeGores kindly allowed Midcoast Conservancy to develop a public use trail on it while they held the parcel. Acquisition also protects river frontage on an important river for migratory fish, including federally endangered Atlantic Salmon.

The purchase was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, as well as generous contributions from Jane’s Trust, Butler Conservation Fund, John Sage Foundation, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Morton-Kelly Trust, William P. Wharton Trust, and numerous private donors, including Jack Fahey, Christine and Jay LeGore and all of Midcoast Conservancy’s board members.

Midcoast Conservancy’s mission is to protect and promote healthy lands, waters, and communities through conservation, outdoor adventure, and learning. For more information, go to midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.