RANGELEY — The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust announced the acquisition of 70 acres on the eastern shoreline of Hunter Cove on Rangeley Lake.

The property abuts 100-acre Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary, which was donated to the trust in 2004 by Maine Audubon Society. It is directly across the cove from the 180-acre Hunter Cove Uplands.

The estate of Carl W. Lewin and the Janet H. Lewin Living Trust offered the property for sale for several years before approaching the Heritage Trust to negotiate terms that would ensure this property remain undeveloped in perpetuity. To honor the generations of Lewins that treasured this land, the trust has dedicated it as Lewin Woods.

The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust will maintain and monitor the ecological integrity of Lewin Woods while providing access to the public for recreation and education. Featuring 44 acres of forested uplands with mature stands of balsam fir, white spruce and quaking aspen, the remaining acreage is in wetlands. The entire property is within the Rangeley Game Sanctuary, a protection zone which provides critical winter habitat to deer and a slew of song birds, nesting loons, amphibians, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, lynx and other large mammals.

The purchase of this property is due in large to a grant from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program. The remainder was donated by trust board members and membership. With this purchase, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust has conserved over 1,650 acres on Rangeley Lake.

FMI: rlht.org.

This map shows the new land along Hunter Cove acquired by Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.