Arthur Bartlett (Bart) Hague Jr., our respected neighbor on McWain Hill Road, passed away in December at the age of 96. Bart dedicated his long life to environmental protection and conservation. His passion began right here on McWain Hill, where as a boy in the 1930s he visited his Aunt Mary—later inheriting her house at just 16 years old.
Bart’s public service career spanned over forty years, including two decades as a charter member of the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He worked on water quality teams to clean up the Potomac River, Boston Harbor, and Maine’s Androscoggin River. He also played a role in creating the National Trails System within the National Park Service.
After retiring from the EPA in 1996, Bart became President Emeritus of Maine Lakes. He championed a regional effort to conserve the Crooked River and Sebago Lake watershed, which led to the formation of the Sebago Clean Waters collaborative. In 2022, Bart was honored with the Clean Water Heroes Award by the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
Bart and his wife of 61 years, Mary Ann, placed 475 acres under conservation easement. This included land on McWain Hill, the former Camp Waganaki, a cove on McWain Pond, and a mile-long stretch on both sides of the Crooked River.
