In 2015, the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust (RLHT) acquired an 8-acre parcel that abutted the Rangeley Lake State Park (RLSP). The property, situated along the northern side of South Shore Drive and the southern shoreline of Rangeley Lake, is the eastern boundary of the RLSP.

With restrictions preventing its subdivision and development, the property couldn’t be used for single or multi-family residential housing or commercial use other than the operation of environmental education programs and non-motorized recreational activities. The waterfront has a rocky shoreline. The largely sloped property is wet year-round and pocketed with deep mud and standing water. The run-off, mini-wetlands, tree snags, and decay are clear indicators this property is a tiny ecosystem along a populated shoreline.

As a conservation organization, RLHT felt transferring this property to RLSP made sense economically and environmentally. The property remains conserved and is now congruently managed as part of the RLSP forestry management plan.

About Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust 

The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust’s mission is to conserve and steward the natural and historic resources of the Rangeley Lakes Region for the benefit of the community and future generations. RLHT conserves land, builds trails, and offers programs to connect the community to conservation. Learn more at rlht.org.  

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