March 29, 2024
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State increases size of Mount Blue State Park

WELD – Mount Blue State Park is growing with the purchase of a swath of land that includes a 1,298-foot peak known as Hedgehog Hill and about half of the park’s popular 20-mile multiuse trail.

A total of 2,468 acres were purchased for $980,000 from a subsidiary of McDonald Investment Co.

Funding came from a combination of sources, including the Land for Maine’s Future program, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and private money, the state said Monday.

Gov. Angus King praised the purchase.

“Western Maine’s panoramic vistas in the Mount Blue and Tumbledown region will be protected for future generations and I’m grateful to the many players who made [the] announcement possible,” King said.

Mount Blue, which had 70,000 visitors last year, is one of the state’s most popular state parks. The purchase increases the size of the park from about 5,000 acres to nearly 7,500 acres.

The Trust for Public Land, which assisted with the purchase, is working with the Maine Department of Conservation and the Tumbledown Conservation Alliance to protect approximately 30,000 acres in the region.

The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit organization, has protected more than 1.4 million acres across the country since 1972.


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