A conservation group  has acquired three forested properties totaling nearly 17,900 acres in coastal Maine, according to an article on BangorDailyNews.com.

The Conservation Fund – a Virginia-based conservation group –  acquired the properties in Hancock and Washington counties on Tuesday from H.C. Haynes, Inc., a forestry company. The properties will be conveyed to other nonprofit conservation organizations after those groups raise money to purchase them.

The goal of the acquisition is to protect wildlife habitat, ensure future recreational access, and support the economies of nearby coastal communities, according to a prepared statement the fund released this week.

Read about a conservation group preserving forest in coastal Maine.