LWCF Funded Units in Maine

Federal Program
Acadia NP
Moosehorn NWR
Petit Manan NWR
Rachel Carson NWR
Saddleback Mountain
Saint Croix IHS
Sunkhaze Meadows NWR
Approximate Total Federal	$59,000,000
State Program
Approximate Total Stateside Grants	$38,000,000
Approximate Total Federal and State	$97,000,000

LWCF Success in Maine

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped protect some of Maine’s most treasured places. Maine has received approximately $97 million over the past four decades, protecting places such as Acadia National Park and Preserve and the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site.

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Consisting of meandering tidal creeks, coastal upland, sandy dunes, salt ponds, marsh, and productive wetlands, the Rachel Carson NWR provides critical nesting and feeding habitat for a variety of migratory birds along the Atlantic Flyway. The salt marsh habitat found at Rachel Carson NWR is relatively rare in Maine, which is better known for its dramatic, rocky coastline. Upland portions of the landscape in and around the refuge host a unique, unusually dense concentration of vernal pools that provide habitat for several rare plant and animal species. Acquisitions at the refuge also provide an important buffer between the intense development pressure along the southern Maine coast and its fragile coastal estuaries.

Economic Benefits

Active outdoor recreation is an important part of the Maine economy. The Outdoor Industry Association has found that active outdoor recreation supports 48,000 jobs across Maine, generates $210 million in annual state tax revenue and produces nearly $3 billion annually in retail sales and services across Maine - accounting for more than 7 percent of gross state product. Further, the U.S. Census reports that each year over 1 million people hunt, fish, or enjoy wildlife-watching in Maine, contributing over $1.5 billion to the state economy in wildlife recreation spending. With full LWCF funding, Maine’s outdoor recreation economy will stay strong and continue to create sustainable long-term economic growth.

Download "The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy Report for Maine"