PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 15, 2023
Maine is getting more than $1 million in federal grants for new conservation and outdoor recreation projects, including the purchase of more than 950 acres to create public hiking trails in Windham, New Gloucester and Searsmont. About half of the money, or $496,000, is being awarded to Windham to buy 697 acres of heavily forested land and build a 1.3-mile universal access trail. The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands will get $268,500 to buy and develop 195 acres of land in New Gloucester as part of a new public lands project, Talking Brook, which is home to scenic brooks, waterfalls and an extensive trail network. Searsmont will get $103,000 to buy 64 acres of undeveloped land along the Georges River and create new outdoor recreational opportunities, including a boat launch, picnic area, hiking trails, and 1,700 feet of universal access walking trails.