The Northeast Wilderness Trust said it now has 100,000 acres of wildlands under protection in the region - including nearly 48,000 acres in Maine.
The Trust said the milestone was achieved after more than two decades of conservation efforts.
Spokesperson Richard Knox said the land, which stretches from the Berkshires in Connecticut to the North Woods of Maine, stores about 9 million metric tons of carbon. And it also provides habitat for plants and animals that need to migrate due to climate change.
"Maybe wetter or drier, these species need a place to go," Knox said. "So having a place for the wild creatures and plants to move and migrate to is really important. And wilderness areas in particular are excellent avenue for that to happen."
Knox said the Trust uses a passive management approach called "rewilding" which is which is designed to let nature run its course.
"It's done primarily for the plants and animals with minimal, if any, human intervention, where we just let the land be," he said. "We let it recover from its heavy use."
The Trust is especially focused on creating a buffer zone around the Appalachian Trail.
Knox said the organization's next goal is to preserve an additional 60-thousand acres by the end of the decade.
