Voter support for the Land for Maine’s Future program is already paying dividends.

A deal was announced Thursday that will protect almost 7,700 acres, including 47 miles of shoreline around Third, Fourth and Fifth Machias lakes and another 13 miles of stream bank.

The Conservation Fund, which is based in Virginia, purchased the property from International Paper and will eventually hand it over to the Maine Department of Conservation. In addition to LMF funding, support for the purchase also came from a number of environmental organizations, including the The Nature Conservancy, the Machias River Watershed Council and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.

The deal, which adds to the effort to protect the Machias River in Washington County, is a great example of why the Land For Maine’s Future program is important – and popular with voters.

It works with property owners, affected communities, federal and state agencies, and conservation groups to preserve open and wild places and protect the traditional uses – such as hunting and fishing – embedded within Maine’s outdoors heritage.