New National Park near Baxter State Park?

[TNhiker]

Its not a state park.

Sorry---forgot that it's a private park basically run by the state...

[Don H]

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.

Which begs the question; Why doesn't Mrs. Quimby donate it to the state?

[Datto]

Which begs the question; Why doesn't Mrs. Quimby donate it to the state?

Possibly she doesn't want the BSP Park Director and his cronies involved.


Datto

[egilbe]

Sorry---forgot that it's a private park basically run by the state...

Still wrong. It's not run by the state at all, nor does it get any funding from the state.

[egilbe]

Possibly she doesn't want the BSP Park Director and his cronies involved.


Datto

probably the best Director the park ever had.

[rickb]

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.

I understand why a great many people would prefer the Maine woods be owned by giant paper companies (foreign and domestic) that would allow unfettered access to them by hunters, trappers, pilots and snow machine enthusiasts.

But times change-- the mills are not coming back.

The people who care most about those lands should not be thinking about next year's moose season and such, but about who might own their beloved forests when thier grand children reach their age.

To do otherwise is beyond selfish.

[The Scribe]

Still wrong. It's not run by the state at all, nor does it get any funding from the state.

True, it gets it's funding from user fees and the endowment Baxter left for it's management. But it is run by State employees. The Baxter State Park Authority is made up of the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Director of the Maine Forest Service (Chair).

I have mixed feelings about it. Quimby has not won many friends over the years with how she managed her land. Major snowmobile routes on the ITS system closed down arbitrarily. Other restrictions. That puts her in a hole with some of the people she is trying to win over. Lucas is working hard on that issue.

What does a NP there bring to the area? Tourism? To what? Many of the people, like myself, that are attracted to that area already go there and will continue to do so regardless if there is a park there or not. And there is no infrastructure there even if people show up. This isn't Acadia, the only other comparison people here can make regarding NP's. The SUV with plates from away that now go to Acadia, for the most part will not go to Maine Woods National Park. I think it's funny that Katahdin is predominately featured in promotion for the proposed park. And it has nothing to do with it.

[egilbe]

I would be perfectly fine if she wanted to create another state park on the same model as Baxter, with access to snowmobiling, four-wheeling, hiking, hunting and skiing.

[rickb]

I would be perfectly fine if she wanted to create another state park on the same model as Baxter, with access to snowmobiling, four-wheeling, hiking, hunting and skiing.

Please correct me if I wrong, but I think BSP limits those activities far, far more than the vision set forth for the Park or National Monument.

[egilbe]

Please correct me if I wrong, but I think BSP limits those activities far, far more than the vision set forth for the Park or National Monument.

So? Baxter is a model all parks should strive to be. Self supporting. No commercialism. How can the Feds not do the same thing with all their jewels in the national park system?

[DavidNH]

it could be that Ms. Quimby doesn't fully trust the state and would rather give her land to the federal government as a national park. I have long been puzzled why so many Mainers don't truly appreciate their own land. Is it all just a resources to be cut down or a jewel to be forever protected?

[egilbe]

it could be that Ms. Quimby doesn't fully trust the state and would rather give her land to the federal government as a national park. I have long been puzzled why so many Mainers don't truly appreciate their own land. Is it all just a resources to be cut down or a jewel to be forever protected?

Protected from what? The ravages of Spruce budworm? The ravages of indiscriminate logging? I believe people from Maine realize that there is room for all types of recreation in the forests, as well as using the forests for its renewable resources. There is a tremendous awareness of what happens when conservation is discarded in order to seek profits at all other expenses. No one protests purchases by the AMC or The Nature Conservancy within the state. We understand that conservation is of paramount importance to the character of the state. Most people do not want another Acadia National Park and the hordes of tourist that descend on MDI every Summer. We live in Maine to avoid that crap.

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

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.

Thank Goodness there are a small handful of the Truly Enlightened who know what's best for each and every one of us, and who are so willing to share the light!

AO

[Sly]

No one can be trusted

Including Mainers that believe they have rights on anothers property.

[Pedaling Fool]

This subject comes up every so often and I still don't get the general angst of many. Personally, I don't care as long as the land is protected. One day, maybe I'll get the motivation to read into the locals objection....

[Sly]

This subject comes up every so often and I still don't get the general angst of many. Personally, I don't care as long as the land is protected. One day, maybe I'll get the motivation to read into the locals objection....

It seems many Mainers prefer the Maine woods be privately held by papers companies that supply well paying jobs, and allow hunting and fishing. They fail to realize when a mill closes, it's not likely to ever reopen and those jobs are lost. Rather than push a national facility that would help draw tourists from the coast and Acadia, Millinocket decays.

[peakbagger]

[QUOTE=rickb;2069123]I understand why a great many people would prefer the Maine woods be owned by giant paper companies (foreign and domestic) that would allow unfettered access to them by hunters, trappers, pilots and snow machine enthusiasts.
QUOTE]

Giant paper companies haven't owned the maine woods for about 15 to 20 years. The majority of the woods are now owned by giant Timber Management Organizations although John Malone is also a major landowner http://fortune.com/2012/09/27/meet-t...america/Unlike the paper companies who owned land for the long term, the TMOs are out for cash flow. One odd benefit was that they figured out that selling conservation easements covers the cost of the land so there has been a record amount of land conserved from development since the paper companies sold out. One of PR games of pro fed groups is to show a map of Maine to show how little land is owned by the federal government implying that only the federal government will protect it. Once conservation and development easements are shown, the map suddenly gets a lot more color on it. The owners may change in the future but the easements are "forever" Many of the easements allow sustainable forestry and even the Nature Conservancy and the AMC log lands they own. Unlike tourism jobs, forestry jobs tend to pay a higher wage and support local sawmills.

Unfortunately a working forest doesn't meet the idealized image of what a tourist wants to see, logging is messy in the short term but the resultant regrowth is where much of the wildlife resides. The Lynx is back in Maine mostly due to clearcuts which open up the preferred habitat of their main food source snowshoe hares which thrive in regrowth. Songbirds tend to also like this regrowth habitat. The other ugly truth is the Maine woods are not static, fir and spruce stands have a limited life based on marginal soils and when they get over mature the spruce budworm visits and wipes out hundreds of thousands of acres. I was in high school when the budworm last hit the region but I remember climbing katahdin and seeing the telltale red woods left when entire stands are dead and rotting in place.

[egilbe]

It seems many Mainers prefer the Maine woods be privately held by papers companies that supply well paying jobs, and allow hunting and fishing. They fail to realize when a mill closes, it's not likely to ever reopen and those jobs are lost. Rather than push a national facility that would help draw tourists from the coast and Acadia, Millinocket decays.

Do you really think that just because the Feds own it it magically becomes an attractive destination?

[Offshore]

Including Mainers that believe they have rights on anothers property.

"Hello private property owner. I'm from Maine and I'm here to help."

[OCDave]

Do you really think that just because the Feds own it it magically becomes an attractive destination?

With a "National Park" designation? Absolutely!