More than 16,000 acres around Gulf of Maine to be protected

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - An outdoor group will use $1 million in federal funds to conserve more than 16,000 acres around the Gulf of Maine.

Appalachian Mountain Club will receive the money from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, officials said. The conservation work will protect more than 100 migratory bird species, said Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Maine Democrat.

The lands that will be preserved include undeveloped wetlands, saltwater coastlines, lake and pond areas and surrounding upland buffer areas, Pingree said. The Appalachian Mountain Club is also slated to receive about $3 million in matching funds.

Pingree said the conservation work illustrates that the Gulf of Maine is “one of our state’s treasures.”