New National Park near Baxter State Park?

[Uriah]

An interesting Washington Post article about the possibility of a new National Park near Baxter State Park in Maine. A large chunk of land was purchased by the co-founder of Burt's Beeswax and donated to the Feds for a possible park (along with a ton of money), but of course there's an ongoing fight among locals, who seem divided about whether it would do more harm than good, or quite the opposite. It's funny to me, because the one successful business in Millinocket is the Appalachian Trail Cafe and the hostel owned by the same man. All other businesses have died or are dying.

[burger]

If we listened to the what the locals wanted, we would never have had a single national park in the US. Screw the ignorant locals.

[Connie]

Really?

Screw the ignorant "feds" who think "concessions" contracts are more important than the National Park, for example the "incident commander" refusing to allow the forest fire fighters to fight the fire, pulling them to protect the concessions, allowing the forest fire to go to "secondary burn" which means the fire goes into the forest floor, to start all over again from "underground" and for example, the let's dress up in a ranger outfit and "study" the infestation of trees, not cutting and burning an infested tree, until every tree of that species is dead, then, finding the infestation in another species of tree, deciding on another "study" not cutting and burning that tree.

I said, Do you think that is their second most favorite food?

Lake Tahoe infestations were cut and covered with contractor's clear plastic, the sunlight killing that infestation. The "feds" stopped that, and so, the Lake Tahoe infestation spread, killing the trees over a huge area.

Screw the ignorant "feds"..for spreading their arrogance and ignorance across this great nation in our national parks, our forests, and every other meddlesome project they invent to give out our tax dollars to their ner-do-well relatives.

[somers515]

Well the comments on this informative news article went pretty awry pretty quick. Thought it was very cool that an AT thru hiker was leading the push for the national park. I for one hope it happens.

[rickb]

Me too.

If the AT were rerouted to the new National Park/Monument it could connect with the International Appalachian Trail.

I have long thought a good name for the Park would be Appalchian Trails (plural)National Monument.

The name and reroute of the AT would give the park additional cache and renown, making it even easier to promote than it would be anyway. It would also be a huge boost to the profiles of the IAT and help insure its sustainability.

Katahdin could still be celebrated as a special blue blaze, but the issues Baxter State Park faces from AT thru hikers would be addressed, and The AT would no longer be effectively "closed" to their hikes every October. This would further spread out users of the Trail. New trails would created and the local economy would see new kinds of jobs-- the mills are not coming back.

The park would make for a win,win, win and win situation.

The big downside would be that local hunters and snow machine enthusiasts would no longer have unfettered access to the private land up there that they do now. Solutions could be found to address thier concerns.

[Don H]

I heard about this 5 years ago when I was in Maine from the owners of Shaw's. Seems a significant number of the locals are against the creation of a National Park because it would limit or reduce the types of use of the area. The concern I heard was no hunting or trapping and limited access for other recreational purposes.

[TheCheek]

Me too.

If the AT were rerouted to the new National Park/Monument it could connect with the International Appalachian Trail.

I have long thought a good name for the Park would be Appalchian Trails (plural)National Monument.

The name and reroute of the AT would give the park additional cache and renown, making it even easier to promote than it would be anyway. It would also be a huge boost to the profiles of the IAT and help insure its sustainability.

Katahdin could still be celebrated as a special blue blaze, but the issues Baxter State Park faces from AT thru hikers would be addressed, and The AT would no longer be effectively "closed" to their hikes every October. This would further spread out users of the Trail. New trails would created and the local economy would see new kinds of jobs-- the mills are not coming back.

The park would make for a win,win, win and win situation.

The big downside would be that local hunters and snow machine enthusiasts would no longer have unfettered access to the private land up there that they do now. Solutions could be found to address thier concerns.

Sure, that all sounds reasonable. What can you possibly say to assuage the "yea but it's government!" crowd?

[Offshore]

I think one the comments on the Post website sums it up really well:

"Property rights advocates don't want a property owner to do what she wants with her land, so that they can do what they want with her land, which they call "our land." "

[Offshore]

Sure, that all sounds reasonable. What can you possibly say to assuage the "yea but it's government!" crowd?

Nothing that would make a difference. Arguing with an ideologue is pointless.

[rocketsocks]

I think one the comments on the Post website sums it up really well:

"Property rights advocates don't want a property owner to do what she wants with her land, so that they can do what they want with her land, which they call "our land." "

yup, but what all this got to do with avacados?

[egilbe]

The government can never be trusted. Don't ever forget that. The path to slavery leads from trust in government and this country is already well on its way down that trail.

Maine has a long tradition of sharing the land with property owners. Roxanne Quimby is working on destroying that tradition and giving control to the government.

[Offshore]

The government can never be trusted. Don't ever forget that. The path to slavery leads from trust in government and this country is already well on its way down that trail.

Maine has a long tradition of sharing the land with property owners. Roxanne Quimby is working on destroying that tradition and giving control to the government.

Except that her son is sharing the land - having reopened the land to recreational use, including adding hiking trails. If you don't like her decision to donate the land for use as a park (rather than to cut the trees to feed a pulp mill - probably in Asia), then don't use the park. Sit at home and flood the net with your conspiracy theories and anti-gunbermit rants but recognize the rights of private property owners. The whiners up in Maine have no standing in this case. Not your land, not your decision.

[rafe]

The government can never be trusted.

So, who can? Jesus? Allah? Yahweh? GM? GE? Bechtel?

[egilbe]

So, who can? Jesus? Allah? Yahweh? GM? GE? Bechtel?

No one can be trusted

[egilbe]

Except that her son is sharing the land - having reopened the land to recreational use, including adding hiking trails. If you don't like her decision to donate the land for use as a park (rather than to cut the trees to feed a pulp mill - probably in Asia), then don't use the park. Sit at home and flood the net with your conspiracy theories and anti-gunbermit rants but recognize the rights of private property owners. The whiners up in Maine have no standing in this case. Not your land, not your decision.

Actually, the people in Maine do have a voice. It's why a national park is not a fait accompli. The government already refuses to fund the current national parks. Do you really think adding another one is going to help balance the budget? The government is turning our national parks into advertising billboards for corporations. Billboards are outlawed in Maine.

[Offshore]

Actually, the people in Maine do have a voice. It's why a national park is not a fait accompli. The government already refuses to fund the current national parks. Do you really think adding another one is going to help balance the budget? The government is turning our national parks into advertising billboards for corporations. Billboards are outlawed in Maine.

I'll refer you to my earlier post in the tread about arguing with an ideologue. (Be sure to recycle the aluminum foil when you change hats.)

[DavidNH]

I hope the new national park happens as well. Let us remember, Baxter State Park only exists today because the Late Gov Baxter personally purchased the 200,000+ acres piece by piece. He then gave the park to the people of Maine as a wilderness reserve over their loud objections. Today, Baxter State Park is the only positive thing in the entire Millinocket area.

[egilbe]

But BSP wasn't given to the federal government, now was it? Who was it given to?

[TNhiker]

But BSP wasn't given to the federal government, now was it? Who was it given to?

well------it is called Baxter State Park for a reason.....

[egilbe]

well------it is called Baxter State Park for a reason.....

Its not a state park.