In January, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant program delivered $923,700 to two projects in Maine to support the work of the Maine Wetlands Protection Coalition.  $600,000 was awarded to permanently protect important coastal wetland and upland buffer habitat in the Ingallshore Conservation Project, Tremont, and $323,000 was awarded to permanently protect Ragged Island, an important seabird nesting island in Casco Bay, Town of Harpswell, Maine. Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), a statewide land trust, holds options to purchase conservation eastements on both properties. "Recieving these funds allows us to move forward towards permanent protection of these valuable properties," noted David MacDonald, Interim President of MCHT, "If all goes well, we hope to close on these easements later this year".

The federal grant for Ingallshore will help enable the acquisition of a conservation easement on 137 acres located on the southwest tip of Mount Desert Island.  “This valuable wetland and upland with more than two miles of shorefront is very important fish and wildlife habitat and, if protected, will add significantly to protected lands in this area,” commented Brian Reilly of Maine Coast Heritage Trust.  The area is especially significant for waterbirds as the area consists of preferred beach, mudflat and salt marsh habitat amidst the steep and rocky coastline found on most of Mount Desert Island.  Part of the conservation area will be open to public access for wildlife viewing and education.  Partners in this project include the landowners, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The second $323,000 Coastal Wetland grant was awarded to permanently protect Ragged Island in Casco Bay, Harpswell, Maine.  This 80 acre island in outer Casco Bay supports a large and diverse population of nesting seabirds, including eider ducks, black guillemots, greater black-backed gulls, herring gulls and osprey.  MCHT hopes to purchase a conservation easement with the grant funds to secure the protection of the 76.6 acre natural area used by the seabirds for nesting.  MCHT will also acquire an easement on the remaining 3.4 acres.  “This protection of Ragged Island is extremely important because of Ragged Island’s exceptional habitat in southern coastal Maine, an area with significant development pressure and loss of habitat” commented Stewart Fefer, Project Leader at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Coastal Program.   The easement, if acquired will guarantee public access to a beach area on the island as long as activities do not interfere with nesting seabirds.  Partners in this project include the landowners, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Trustees of the Julie N Oil Spill Settlement Fund, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.