Whitecap Peak
Roughly 14,000 acres of forestland on the south slopes of White Cap Peak in the heart of Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness is a major step closer to being conserved after Congress approved funding for its conservation as part of a larger spending bill, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club of Maine.
The AMC says the property includes trailheads to two National Natural Landmarks: Gulf Hagas, a 3.5-mile gorge on the West Branch of the Pleasant River, and The Hermitage, a 35-acre reserve with some of Maine’s oldest white pines. When completed, the project will conserve 5,400 acres of high-elevation spruce-fir forest abutting 11 miles of the Appalachian Trail corridor, and 1,200 acres of wetland forests along the West Branch of the Pleasant River. An additional 7,200 acres will be protected from development while allowing sustainable forest management to continue. The project lands also include two scenic waterfalls, campsites, and hiking access to the summit of White Cap.