TNC’s big adventure

It was a deal that no one could refuse, or at least protest — a willing, private seller, International Paper, and an eager private buyer that just happened to be one of the nation’s premier conservation groups. Their agreement that put 185,000 acres into the hands of The Nature Conservancy was the biggest of its kind in Maine when it was announced last December, but the news about it got even better this week when TNC reported that it already had raised nearly a third of the purchase price.

Collecting $10 million toward the $35 million cost for the land in Maine’s Northwest corner was no simple feat. But it was made considerably easier by two factors. First, the cause was excellent — the land is a beautiful part of the state and the pressure from land sales never has been higher. Second, TNC is not your average fund-raiser. It attracted, for instance, $3.2 million from Dr. Richard Rockefeller of Falmouth, the great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, and $1 million from L.L. Bean President Leon Gorman and his wife.

The IP purchase may be the biggest adventure The Nature Conservancy has ever taken, not just in Maine but nationally. And even with the generosity of donors so far, it is still a long way from its goal. But the conservancy’s news conference this week was not merely to call attention to the need for more money — it was also to show that it wasn’t crazy to undertake this project and that its goal is attainable.

It was also an important reminder that the sale was well worth doing, if for no other reason than it ensures continued access for traditional uses at a time when the future of the forest is uncertain. And just as Mainers will still be able to hunt and fish, canoe and hike in this remote region, logging will continue — sustainably, we hope — with greater protections along the 40 miles that abuts the Upper St. John River.

Having TNC oversee a wood-harvesting operation while emphasizing environmental priorities on the land probably will be instructive to other environmental groups and to large landowners. Call it a highly public learning experience. In time, the land may serve as a model for what is possible in the balance between good stewardship and the ability to make a buck.

That prospect is still about $25 million off. The good news this week about the fund-raising so far, however, demonstrates how serious and committed TNC is to making this enormous project work.