AUGUSTA — Maine Coast Heritage Trust has been awarded $290,000 from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program.  The Trust will use the money to protect 41 acres near Long Cove in Saint George. This is the first phase of the Trust's larger effort to protect the remaining shoreline and lands in the Long Cove area.

Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program — which is administered by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — is awarding a total of $1,051,530 to help restore, enhance, or preserve wetlands and other important habitats at eight project sites around the state.

The program provides flexibility for both regulators and the regulated community to choose a fee in lieu of more time-intensive traditional mitigation options. These In Lieu Fees are collected by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and then transferred to the Natural Resource Conservation Fund at The Nature Conservancy.

Since its first funding round in 2009, the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program has awarded $8.5 million towards 66 projects across Maine.

Commissioner Patricia Aho of the Maine DEP said in a news release: "It's exciting to see this collaboration between Maine DEP, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continue to do so much each year to protect and conserve the natural resources that are so vital to Maine's economy and environment.

By providing in lieu fees as a mitigation option for developers, we are able to support important environmental enhancements and encourage responsible development as well. This collaboration between regulators and developers reflects our mission to steward our environment and natural resources and ensure a strong and sustainable economy."

"After six rounds of these awards, we're starting to see real progress toward conserving Maine's aquatic resources," said Alex Mas, who manages the program for The Nature Conservancy in Maine.

Traditional mitigation projects can often be scattered, small or poorly located; this program allows us to focus wetland mitigation funds in high priority areas to help ensure they continue to provide important benefits for people and for wildlife into the future.”

Ruth Ladd, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District said in the news release: ”After all efforts have been made to avoid or minimize wetland impacts, this program provides permit applicants an efficient and workable alternative to traditional mitigation, while providing a better outcome for our wetland habitats.

The fees are used to restore, enhance, preserve or create ecologically significant aquatic resources and their associated uplands."

This is the sixth round of awards from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program to advance important land and water conservation around the state.

In Southern Maine, the York Land Trust will use $115,350 to conserve 23 acres, including wetlands that flow into York's drinking water supply. In Northern Maine, the town of Washburn will use $21,000 to restore riverside habitat on Salmon Brook following the removal of a dam.

Other 2014 award recipients include: Atlantic Salmon Federation, Great Works Regional Land Trust, Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, Three Rivers Land Trust, and the town of Phippsburg.

More information about Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program can be found at mnrcp.org.