Future of HLH

Members, 

After six years of collective effort, we are thrilled to share that the intertidal land we fought so hard to protect is no longer at risk. Upstream Watch has entered into a contract with Nordic to purchase nearly all the properties Nordic acquired, everything except Lot 36, the former Eckrote lot east of Route 1. This means the industrial fish farm proposal is off the table, and the path is clear for conservation.

We are grateful to Upstream Watch and confident they will steward the land with care and a commitment to conservation. This is the outcome we’ve hoped for and fought for. You all made this possible!

But the work isn’t over yet.

Friends of Harriet L. Hartley Conservation Area remains in negotiations in the Maine Business and Consumer Court—seeking damages from Nordic and working with the City to secure vital access to the Conservation Area.

We are negotiating to secure an easement over Lot 36. This would allow public access to the intertidal zone without relying on the right-of-way over Jeffrey and Judith’s property. This is about the long-term: making sure future generations can access this land without legal entanglements, and that the community truly owns the connection to the shore.

We’re also working to clear Jeffrey and Judith’s title, which remains clouded by Nordic’s claims, the Eckrote’s actions, and the City’s attempted eminent domain seizure. Resolving these issues is essential to give them peace of mind and the freedom to move forward.

This land connects to something bigger.

HLH’s small parcel is an opening to the sea—a direct connection between the community and our beloved Conservation Area. With access across Lot 36, the Conservation Area becomes a link in a much larger collaborative effort already taking shape across the street.

We are proud to stand alongside partners like Downeast Salmon Federation, Coastal Mountains Land Trust, Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition, and other community leaders. There is strong interest among these groups in ensuring that the former Nordic properties west of Route 1 are conserved and transformed into a lasting community asset. While each organization may contribute in different ways, we are united by a shared vision: protecting this land, restoring its ecological health, and making it accessible to the public for generations to come.

We’re ready for a new start.

If we can resolve these final legal and access issues—the easement, the title, and the damage claims—we will be ready to step fully into the next chapter: restoring the intertidal, welcoming the public, and building something beautiful alongside our partners and the City.