View Full Version : The Maine woods, still relevant 150 years later
An article (http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/4515371.html) here from a Thoreau historian and how the Maine woods are still relevant to what Thoreau found on several of his journeys through an untamed wilderness. A good read i thinks
An article (http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/4515371.html) here from a Thoreau historian and how the Maine woods are still relevant to what Thoreau found on several of his journeys through an untamed wilderness. A good read i thinks
An excellent piece. Much of Maine away from the roads remains wild. It remains that way because the land was acquired in Thoreau's time by a few land speculators who saw a chance to make a lot of money selling to the settlers that most everyone expected would arrive soon.
Unfortunately, for them, fortunately for us, the settlers didn't come. Rather than cold and rocky mountainous Maine they headed to the deep fertile soils of Ohio, Indianna and Illinois, and to the gold laden hills of California.
Later the paper companies took over and discouraged settlements. They didn't want to have to pay taxes to support schools, roads and the infrastructure of civilized places.
Sadly, that has all changed in the past decade. Virtually all the paper companies have sold their vast holdings to developers. A weak regulatory agency is hearing a proposal for a 400,000 acre subdivision as I write.
Thats why a group of us formed the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. We want to provide buffers to the narrow AT corridor. We want to preserve a bit of the wildness that Thoreau saw and which thousands of hikers have enjoyed and praised.
Will we succeed? Well we have already preserved for all time one mountain adjacent to the trail and the slopes of another.
But long term success depends really on how well we are able to convince the hiking community that this is both possible and needed. Hikers won't by themselves save the wildness that remains 150 years after Thoreaus' several visits. But their support will help us convince the major donors that this is truly important.
Weary www.matlt.org
wilconow
12-30-2007, 13:30
excellent article, thanks for posting.
Thanks for your post woodsy and the memories. Unfortunately, I no longer own a copy of The Maine Woods.
For years including when I lived and studied at Orono I had a copy on my bookshelf gifted to me by my parents. I liked to read portions of it on weekends during the colder months.
An excellent piece. Much of Maine away from the roads remains wild. It remains that way because the land was acquired in Thoreau's time by a few land speculators who saw a chance to make a lot of money selling to the settlers that most everyone expected would arrive soon.
Unfortunately, for them, fortunately for us, the settlers didn't come. Rather than cold and rocky mountainous Maine they headed to the deep fertile soils of Ohio, Indianna and Illinois, and to the gold laden hills of California.
Later the paper companies took over and discouraged settlements. They didn't want to have to pay taxes to support schools, roads and the infrastructure of civilized places.
Sadly, that has all changed in the past decade. Virtually all the paper companies have sold their vast holdings to developers. A weak regulatory agency is hearing a proposal for a 400,000 acre subdivision as I write.
Thats why a group of us formed the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. We want to provide buffers to the narrow AT corridor. We want to preserve a bit of the wildness that Thoreau saw and which thousands of hikers have enjoyed and praised.
Will we succeed? Well we have already preserved for all time one mountain adjacent to the trail and the slopes of another.
But long term success depends really on how well we are able to convince the hiking community that this is both possible and needed. Hikers won't by themselves save the wildness that remains 150 years after Thoreaus' several visits. But their support will help us convince the major donors that this is truly important.
Weary www.matlt.org (http://www.matlt.org)
Weary, give these guys a call:
An article from Land for Maine's future (http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/4601582.html) with 17 million dollars available for those special kind of places:)
Thanks for your post woodsy and the memories. Unfortunately, I no longer own a copy of The Maine Woods.
For years including when I lived and studied at Orono I had a copy on my bookshelf gifted to me by my parents. I liked to read portions of it on weekends during the colder months.
That's the best way to read Thoreau's unique syle of writing, and with a dictionary handy of course:rolleyes::D