'Once in a generation' opportunity protects wildlife, working forest and recreation in western Maine

In the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine, an ambitious effort is underway to conserve tens of thousands of acres in historic Wabanaki territory.

For centuries, these have been prized hunting and fishing grounds, home to bear, lynx, deer and moose and one of the last strongholds of native brook trout in the country.

But with a recent construction boom, forest fragmentation and rising temperatures, woods and wildlife are under threat. The Magalloway Conservation Initiative aims to safeguard both while also protecting public access to the region.

In mid-October, angler and fishing guide Alex Caisse navigates his pickup truck along logging roads in the woods of remote western Maine, not far from the northern New Hampshire border. He's showing off highlights of the Magalloway project, n