The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, with help from the town of Windham and local landowners, has conserved 700 acres in east Windham. The forested parcel is now part of a 2,000 acre conservation area, the largest in southern Maine.
The 700 acre parcel connects to 1,300 protected acres in Falmouth. The new East Windham Conservation Area will create the largest wildlife habitat and trail network in greater Portland, the land trust said.
The town of Windham owns the land and the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the parcel. Now that the area is conserved, the land trust said it will begin to construct 10 new miles of trails that will connect an existing 20 mile trail network.
The project was financed with funds from the Land for Maine's Future program, as well as a $1.8 million conservation bond approved by Windham voters.
The land is temporarily closed during construction of the parking lot and first five miles of trails. The area will open to the public starting in early December, the land trust said. Later phases will construct the remaining five miles of trails and an observation tower.
