A land trust is purchasing an island in East Grand Lake that is popular with local residents and fishermen.

The Woodie Wheaton Land Trust, based in the Washington County border town of Forest City, secured a loan from a bank after Greenland Island went for sale on the real estate market. The island is located just offshore from the Greenland Point boat launch on East Grand Lake near Danforth.

At just 6 acres in size, Greenland Island is relatively small. But it’s proximity to the boat launch and a popular fishing spot known as the Big Hole made it an attractive property, said Paul First, executive director of the Woodie Wheaton Land Trust.

The island also has more than a half-mile of shorefront on scenic East Grand Lake.

First said the land trust plans to keep the land open to the public and will extinguish several development rights on the island. First declined to disclose the amount the land trust agreed to pay for the property.

“It was very competitively priced given the amount of shore frontage,” First said.

The Woodie Wheaton Land Trust in the past has worked largely to permanently protect land along Spednic Lake and in the St. Croix River corridor. First said the organization is increasingly expanding its focus in the region.

“Our push is to try to conserve some of these high-value conservation properties in the northern end of our area,” First said.

The land trust plans to launch a public fundraising campaign in the coming weeks to help pay off the loan from Machias Savings Bank for Greenland Island and to create a small stewardship fund for the property.

kmiller@bangordailynews.net

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