NORTHWEST PISCATAQUIS, Maine — The Nature Conservancy says it's adding 6,365 acres to its reserve lands in northern Maine's Upper St. John River Forest.
The organization says the land is located in northern Somerset and Piscataquis counties near the conservancy's 4,100-acre Desolation Pond Reserve. The group says the forested land along Corner Pond includes "large areas of mature hardwood trees."
The conservancy says it acquired the lands from a neighboring landowner in a swap for some of the conservancy's St. John timber lands. The group says its St. John River Forest acquisition project began with an 185,000-acre purchase from International Paper in 1998.
Nature Conservancy Maine Executive Director Mike Tetreault says the acquisition "continues a vision we set in motion more than a decade ago" to link reserve lands and timber lands.