More land saved in Maine

[lobster]

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="73%">Land project delivers 'gift' for Mainers
Tuesday, December 07, 2004 - Bangor Daily News<SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="../PPL1Review.aspx?a=104694"> </SCRIPT> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle>[/url]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle>[url="javascript:ppl1review();"]Submit Your Thoughts (javascript:ppl1review();)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Email This Article To A Friend (javascript:openppl('pplsendarticle.aspx?a=104694&z=6',0,0,400,260)) Print This Article (http://bangordailynews.com/news/templates/default.aspx?a=104694&template=print-article.htm) Go Back (javascript:history.go(-1))</TD></TR><TR><TD width="73%" bgColor=#666666 height=3></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left width="73%"><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="20%" align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=images></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>BANGOR - When satellites pass over the East Coast snapping nighttime photographs of the scattered splotches of light that represent civilization, a 329,000-acre patch of Maine's North Woods is jet black, exposing no streetlights, headlights or neon. On Monday morning, Gov. John Baldacci joined state officials and conservationists to announce that protection from development for this acreage has been secured forever with the completion of the West Branch Project, a $35 million mix of land sales and conservation easements negotiated by the Bangor-based Forest Society of Maine.

Standing before a postcard image of the North Woods that was wrapped up for the holidays in red ribbon, Baldacci called the project "a gift to the citizens of Maine and to the future of Maine."

Just shy of a year ago, Alan Hutchinson of the society told Mainers he had struck a deal with the investment company that owns the one-time Great Northern Paper lands to secure the sale of 47,000 acres of land to the state for ecological reserves, as well as conservation easements on an additional 282,000 acres. The easements are among the first in the nation to bar development, create recreation rights and promote sustainable forestry. Wagner Forest Management will continue to harvest trees on the easement lands.

The land and easements were bought for about $34 million and the additional million was used to establish an endowment fund that the Forest Society will use to manage and maintain the easement land "in perpetuity."

"It's a pretty big chunk of Maine," said Sherry Huber, chairwoman of the fund-raising campaign. Bangor Daily News Publisher Richard J. Warren served as Huber's vice-chairman.

Landscape-scale conservation projects like this, with a combination of privately owned working forests and state-owned ecological reserves, are the best means of protecting the North Woods, Bucky Owen of The Nature Conservancy's board of directors said Monday.

A patchwork of conservation projects has protected much of northern Maine in recent years, but with rising prices, the West Branch project could be one of Maine's last giant land deals, he said.

Initially, the West Branch project had two phases - the 329,000-acre project that is now complete, and an additional 327,000 acres farther east. On Monday, Hutchinson said that "phase two" as delineated on maps when the project was announced several years ago could take a different form as landowners come to the society with proposals.

"We're all trying to wrestle with phase two," Hutchinson said. "We have a whole lot of possibilities."

In January, when the Forest Society announced its public fund-raising campaign, it already had secured a majority of the $35 million it needed. In hand were $19.7 million in grants from the federal Forest Legacy program, $1 million from the state's Land for Maine's Future grant program, and a number of private donations. The society had received a $750,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation; however, receipt of those funds hinged on the society's ability to raise its last $3 million.

On Monday, Hutchinson announced that the society had done so with the help of a half-million-dollar "capstone donation" from Great Lakes Hydro America LLC, the Canadian owner of the hydroelectric dams that once belonged to Great Northern Paper.

The landowner, an investment firm called Merriweather LLC, also gave $1.5 million to the project. While a previous investment group that owned the land was revealed to be Yale University, the investor or investors who make up Merriweather have never been disclosed, causing the project to be viewed with suspicion by some.

But with former Gov. Angus King, Baldacci, state agencies, much of Maine's conservation community and the whole congressional delegation behind it, the project prevailed.

Public support ranged from a $3 million gift by The Nature Conservancy to $5 checks written by Maine residents living in the communities near the project. Overall, more than 300 donors were involved.

"Anything that's going to happen, it isn't going to be [done by] just one person or one group. It's a great collaboration," Baldacci said.






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</TD><TD>Misty Edgecomb

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[TJ aka Teej]

Just shy of a year ago, Alan Hutchinson of the society told Mainers he had struck a deal with the investment company that owns the one-time Great Northern Paper lands to secure the sale of 47,000 acres of land to the state for ecological reserves, as well as conservation easements on an additional 282,000 acres. The easements are among the first in the nation to bar development, create recreation rights and promote sustainable forestry. Wagner Forest Management will continue to harvest trees on the easement lands.


Like most of Maine's timberlands, there's little chance much acreage will fall into private ownership or protection. No doubt most of the 47 thousand acres is over harvested and used up, like the AMC's "10,000 Acre No-Cut Zone" north of Lyford Pond. Baldacci continues his pro-logging agenda with more so-called "sustainable forestry" and fancy double speak. Just about any logging that doesn't remove the soil future trees might be able to grow in will continue to be allowed.

[Tha Wookie]

Hey, when you Mainers are through with these environmental champions, could you send 'em down here to Georgia?

Thanks!

[weary]

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="73%">Land project delivers 'gift' for Mainers
Tuesday, December 07, 2004 - Bangor Daily News<SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="../PPL1Review.aspx?a=104694"> </SCRIPT> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle>[/url]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle>[url="javascript:ppl1review();"]Submit Your Thoughts (javascript:ppl1review();)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Email This Article To A Friend (javascript:openppl('pplsendarticle.aspx?a=104694&z=6',0,0,400,260)) Print This Article (http://bangordailynews.com/news/templates/default.aspx?a=104694&template=print-article.htm) Go Back (javascript:history.go(-1))</TD></TR><TR><TD width="73%" bgColor=#666666 height=3></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left width="73%"><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="20%" align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=images></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>A patchwork of conservation projects has protected much of northern Maine in recent years, but with rising prices, the West Branch project could be one of Maine's last giant land deals....."






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The completion of phase one of this giant project is great news, but the sentence above simply is not true.

Maine has 10 million acres where not enough people live for municipal governments to function. Another 5 million acres is mostly wild forest lands. This project and all the other conservation projects combined protect less than a million acres. And except for a short section between the state's Nahmakanta Preserve and Baxter State Park, none of it protects the 283 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine.

It's to focus on the Appalachian Trail corridor that a few of us have formed the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. The Maine forest is on the market. A few far reaching groups have achieved remarkable success.

It's now time for the trail community to step to the forefront. We have a one time chance to protect what most long distance hikers view as the wildest, most remote and most beautiful section of the trail.

Unfortunately, it is also the most unprotected portion of the trail. A third of the route through Maine has been protected by the swapping of scattered state lands rediscovered 30 years ago. The rest is a narrow corridor, typically just 200 feet wide, rarely more than a 1,000 feet wide.

The surrounding lands are mostly in the hands of "investors" and land speculators. It's all on the market. It all will eventually be sold. We have a chance now to create buffers that help ensure the continuation of a wild, remote and undeveloped trail in Maine. I keep hearing protestations of love and support for the trail. But we need more than words. We need people who will dig deep and contribute to the protection of this rare gem.

open www.matlt.org to see how you can help.

Weary

[UCONNMike]

Hey, when you Mainers are through with these environmental champions, could you send 'em down here to Georgia?

Thanks!
Haha, yeah. Maine should lease out all these eviromental super hero's to other states on the AT, esp poor Georgia. They better not cut up the forest down there.

[weary]

Like most of Maine's timberlands, there's little chance much acreage will fall into private ownership or protection. No doubt most of the 47 thousand acres is over harvested and used up, like the AMC's "10,000 Acre No-Cut Zone" north of Lyford Pond. Baldacci continues his pro-logging agenda with more so-called "sustainable forestry" and fancy double speak. Just about any logging that doesn't remove the soil future trees might be able to grow in will continue to be allowed.
I'm not sure what this continued sniping at Gov. Baldacci and by implication people who have raised millions of dollars to protect a bit of the Maine wildlands achieves.

Nor do I know what TJ means by "Like most of Maine's timberlands, there's little chance much acreage will fall into private ownership or protection."

This land, before and now, remains in private ownership. The difference is that now it can't be developed and an easement requiring "sustainable" forestry has been purchased and is being held by a private group.

As for our good Governor, Maine Public Lands always struck me as better managed than adjacent private lands. As near as I can tell public forest management has improved even more under Baldacci. If TJ has evidence to the contrary, perhaps he can tell us when and where so we can go and judge for ourselves. Certainly for the first time since Percival Baxter was governor in the 1920s we have a Governor who is promoting wilderness protection. Why is that bad TJ?

It is true that most land on the market in Maine has been badly damaged by the former paper company owners. That's why they are selling. The same was true, of course, in the 30s, 40s and 50s when Gov. Baxter was purchasing the land that he gave to the "people of Maine" for the creation of Baxter State Park.

But 50 years later the forests are returning and Baxter is now the premier "wilderness" in the East.

Sadly, none of these newly protected lands abutt the trail. But our Appalachian Trail Land Trust has purchased some lands abutting the trail and are negotiating for more as money becomes available.

Those who want to help should open: www.matlt.org

Weary

[walkin' wally]

A few points.

First, The lands have been "badly damaged" more than once. Many areas have been completely cut over three times at least. What people are seeing that appears to be virgin forest threatened by a clear cut is certainly no 'virgin' to begin with. Notice the size of the trees. It seems sort of hypocritical to me for anyone to ride on paper company logging roads and whine about paper companies. Guess what? The trees grow back. Amazing huh? Visit a clearcut 5 or 10 years after the fact. Notice the birds and animals. Try to find the same in an old growth forest.
Second, For those who have the time, go to the Nahmakanta Unit , get out of your vehicle and walk to some of the places that make that area so special and see the care that the public sector has given to it. This is a great effort.
Third, We don't have a lot of options for employment in the northern areas of this State for Mainers that can be considered a livable wage. The paper industry, as it is, still offers decent wages and that is really what matters unless money is not an issue with some folks. Selling trinkets to tourists that are coming to visit a National Park just doesn't get it. Sorry, but that won't put food on the table, or dress the kids, or pay for a decent education. A previous governor said that Maine is going to become a service state for folks from away. Sadly, that may be true but let us run this colony as best we can until then.
Some folks think that the rules and regulations that do work well in Baxter Park need to be spread over the entire northern part of the State like syrup over pancakes. You can't go here and you can't go there. That place is full already.
A type of forest that only offers one type of terrain, one age of forest trees, no interuption of the green carpet will only sustain so many species of wildlife and not the diversity that is available with the open and closed canopies that Maine has now. This is one reason why moose and other critters do so well now as oppsed to many years ago. Winter feed from sapling buds is one way they survive the long season.
I would not think of going to Georgia or Tennesse or anywhere else to tell those folks how to run their affairs so please let Mainers run theirs for better or worse. I would not go to other states and buy huge tracts of land so I can shut off access for the sake of preservation. Yes, that is happening here and now.
It seems that the remarks people have said on this board about their AT experience in Maine has been quite positive. I don't think that we Mainers have done a real bad job so far.