MONTVILLE — Friends of Haystack Mountain (FOHM), a Waldo County grassroots group working to acquire and protect Haystack Mountain, in Montville, has received a $50,000 donation from the Ram Island Conservation Fund located in Cape Elizabeth. This grant puts the project within $70,000 of a total project cost of $525,000.

“The 57-acre Haystack Mountain property with its outstanding panoramic views is a generationally popular destination for hiking and snowmobiling,” said FOHM, in a news release. “Just a few hundred yards from Walker Elementary School, the mountain has been an important touchstone for students and teachers who have used Haystack for excursions and as an outdoor classroom.”

Title to the land was secured in 2022 with a loan from Bangor Savings Bank that holds a lien on the property. The land was purchased from Allen’s Blueberry Freezer, Inc. that ran a commercial blueberry operation on the mountain for decades. One of the group’s objectives is to keep the land in blueberry production, leasing some of the fields to a local farmer and keeping some of the mountain open for free public picking.

FOHM is anticipating that the remaining funds can be raised by early 2024 with grants and more private donations. Upon completion of fundraising the property will be donated to Midcoast Conservancy to ensure long-term protection and public access. The land trust has served as fiscal agent for the project.

To donate to this project visit FOHM’s website www.haystackmountainmaine.org. For additional information contact friendsofhaystackmountain@gmail.com.