Burt's Bees co-founder gifts 87,500 acres, creating Maine national monument

Roxanne Quimby, the entrepreneur behind Burt’s Bees, transferred 87,500 acres of pristine forest in northern Maine to federal ownership in 2016, a gift appraised at $60 million and accompanied by a $20 million endowment for management. The donation enabled President Obama to proclaim the area Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, a move praised by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

The monument protects mountains, rivers and wildlife while recognizing the historic ties of the Penobscot, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Mi’kmaq Nations. In 2020, the site was recognized as the first International Dark-Sky Sanctuary on the U.S. east coast. Quimby’s philanthropy reflects her transition from a small-scale beekeeping venture with Burt Shavitz to a major conservation legacy in the region that inspired her brand’s growth.