Conservation efforts to get federal funding

Land conservation efforts in western Maine will receive more than $7 million in federal funding under the Department of Interior’s 2002 budget, U.S. Rep. John Baldacci announced Wednesday.

The department’s Forest Legacy Program will give $4 million to the West Branch Project to purchase conservation easements for land surrounding Moosehead Lake.

Another $600,000 will benefit the Tumbledown/Mount Blue project. It will be used to buy land and conservation easements around Mount Blue State Park.

Two cultural projects in eastern Maine also will receive funds, Baldacci said. The Downeast Heritage Center in Calais will receive $2 million to assist in renovation and construction of new facilities.

The center will preserve and develop the historical, cultural and natural resources of Washington County by promoting economic development, supporting educational programs and serving as a tourist destination, Baldacci said.

The St. Croix Island International Historic Site, one of the first European settlements in North America, will get $713,000 to construct a new facility.