A canoe at sunrise on Little Berry Pond in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream watershed, Johnson Mountain Township.

Conservation Photo Project: Protecting Maine’s Northern Forest. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on several projects over the last 15 years in Maine’s vast Northern Forest area. Millions of acres of this region remain undeveloped and privately owned, primarily by timber management companies. Conservation organizations have done a ton of work over the last two decades to successfully conserve big chunks of land in the Maine woods, but there are still plenty of opportunities to protect more.

A man fly-fishing for brook trout in Cold Stream in Maine’s Northern Forest. West Forks. Recently restored stream bed.

Back in July, I spent three days for the Trust for Public Land documenting a new project they are working on with Trout Unlimited, which hopefully will result in the purchase of 8000+ acres in the Cold Stream watershed west of Moosehead Lake. Cold Stream is one of the most important wild and native brook trout fisheries in the Kennebec River watershed, as a large percentage of Kennebec River brook trout start their lives in Cold Stream. The headwaters of the stream hosts several remote, undeveloped ponds that are well-known by the locals as prime fishing habitat.

A man fly-fishing on Little Berry Pond in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream watershed, Johnson Mountain Township.

The property also contains prime white-tail deer wintering habitat, as well as Canada Lynx habitat. Cold Stream also flows through a mile-plus long gorge that feels as wild as it gets and contains a beautiful, but little visited waterfall, appropriately named Cold Stream Falls.

Cold Stream Falls in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream Gorge. Johnson Mountain Township.

Though the project is in its nascent stages, the property (owned by Plum Creek Timber) is open to the public for fishing and camping. You’ll need a Delorme Maine Atlas (and maybe some local knowledge) to find your way around, but it is a beautiful place to hang out for a few days (on the map, you’ll see the property just east of US 201, between The Forks and Jackman.)

Tent and canoe next to the Cold Stream “deadwater” above Upper Cold Stream Falls in Maine’s Northern Forest.

I want to thank Jeff Reardon of Trout Unlimited and Joe Dembeck for taking the time to show me the all the good spots in the watershed. I also want to thank Joe Kruse of Parlin Lake Lodge for volunteering to fly me over the property for a few aerial photos, and Wolfe Tone of the Trust for Public Land for joining Jeff and I (and bringing the Maine microbrews!)

Here are a few more photos from the shoot:

Durgin Pond (middle left), Little Berry Pond (middle right), and Big Berry Pond (top), in the Cold Stream watershed in industrial timberland in Maine’s Northern Forest.

Water lilies and cloud reflections on Lang Pond in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream watershed, Parlin Pond Township.

The spruce-fir forest near Little Berry Pond in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream watershed, Johnson Mountain Township.

A man choosing a dry fly for fishing below Upper Cold Stream Falls in Maine’s Northern Forest. Johnson Mountain Township.

Two men fly-fishing for brook trout from a canoe on the Cold Stream “deadwater” above Upper Cold Stream Falls in Maine’s Northern Forest.

Water lilies and cloud reflections on Lang Pond in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream watershed, Parlin Pond Township.

A man fly-fishing for brook trout from a canoe on Lang Pond in Maine’s Northern Forest. Cold Stream watershed, Parlin Pond Township.