A vision for the North Woods
In delicate talks, the many factions of landowners are forging a plan that tries to satisfy all of their interests.
By Beth Quimby bquimby@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
The long-simmering debate over the future of Maine's northern woodlands is about to move back to the front burner.
Clogged with ice, the St. John River flows through woods in the Aroostook County town of Allagash.
2005 Press Herald file
Undeveloped forestland extends from the eastern shore of Moosehead Lake north of Greenville in this summertime photo.
1998 Associated Press file
Additional Photos Below
THE MAINE WOODS
• Maine is the most heavily forested state in the nation, with trees growing on 90 percent of its land base, or 17.8 million acres.
• The Maine woods are home to more than 20,000 species of wildlife.
• As an economic resource, Maine's forests directly employ nearly 23,000 people.
• About 95 percent of Maine timberland is privately owned, with small, non-industrial landowners holding more than 6.2 million acres.
• The Maine woods generate $1.15 billion in revenues from forest-related recreation and tourism activities.
• Maine's forest industry harvests 6 million to 7 million cords of wood each year to build homes and make furniture, paper and other products.
Source: Maine Forest Service
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
• Eliza Townsend, Maine Department of Conservation
• Wolfe Tone, The Trust for Public Land
• Rosaire Pelletier, adviser to Gov. John Baldacci
• Sherry Huber, Maine Tree Foundation
• Karin Tilberg, Office of the Governor
• Mike Tetreault, The Nature Conservancy
• Alec Giffen, Maine Forest Service
• Patrick Strauch, Forest Products Council
• Ted Koffman, Maine Audubon
• Roger Milliken, Baskahegan Co.
• Marcia McKeague, Acadian Timberlands
• John Williams, Maine Pulp and Paper Association
• Eleanor Kinney, Environmental Funders Network Council
• Karen Woodsum, Sierra Club
• Brownie Carson, Natural Resources Council
• Alan Hutchinson, Forest Society of Maine
• Peter Triandafillou, Huber Resources
• Walter Graff, Appalachian Mountain Club
• Don White, Prentiss and Carlisle
• Mathew Dunlap, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine
• Rich Merk, Small Woodlot Owners of Maine
• Ken Elowe, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
A group called the Keeping Maine's Forests steering committee is working on a proposal to protect millions of acres of the working forest from further development. The committee is close to having a final plan and will deliver it to federal officials as early as this month.
People already are lining up to oppose it with competing plans for the more than 10 million acres known as Maine's North Woods. It's the largest unfragmented forest east of the Mississippi River, with most of it in private hands.
The steering committee grew out of an effort, organized by state officials, to get the traditionally warring factions of landowners such as Katahdin Timberlands, environmental groups such as Maine Audubon, outdoor recreational organizations such as the Appalachian Mountain Club, and members of the forest products sector such as the Forest Products Council, to forge a plan that would satisfy all of their interests.
"The fact that we got them sitting down at one table is unprecedented," said Alec Giffen, director of the Maine Forest Service.
The group came up with a broad vision that would keep the land as working forest by buying conservation easements to allow public access and by restricting use of the land for other development.
The idea was based on a decade-long effort that increased the number of acres protected by easement from 5 percent to 18 percent statewide.
The steering committee rejected the idea of turning any of the land into a national forest or park, to win the support of landowners and others who opposed the restrictions that would impose.
The group peddled its idea to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar during his visit last summer and during follow-up visits with Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who asked the group to come up with a solid pilot project.
The group is now finalizing the proposal for four demonstration projects that would focus on about 4 million to 5 million acres, starting with the area Down East between the Penobscot and St. Croix rivers. It has already identified some landowners who are ready to sell their development rights.
But not everyone was asked to participate, including Jym St. Pierre, Maine director of Restore: The North Woods, a longtime advocate for a national park on 3.2 million acres of the forest.
St. Pierre said Ken Burns' PBS television series "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," which premiered in September to a standing-room-only crowd at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, has renewed Mainers' interest in a national park. He has been asked to speak to recreational clubs such as the Maine Outdoor Adventure Group and its 1,000 members.
He said the series, which recently re-aired on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, opened people's eyes to the history of national parks and opposition to their creation.
St. Pierre points to polls by the Portland firm Critical Insights that consistently show most Maine residents strongly supporting the creation of more public landownership in the northern woods.
He also points to the state Land Use Regulation Commission's vote in September to approve Plum Creek Timber Co.'s plan to create 821 house lots and build two resorts with 1,200 housing units at Big Moose Mountain and Lily Bay.
"It energized people and demonstrated that you can't rely on LURC and other government agencies to protect the wilderness," St. Pierre said.
Other groups are also preparing to fight the steering committee's idea.
Eugene Conlogue, Millinocket's town manager and vice president of the Maine Woods Coalition, a group that promotes the common interests of local, recreational, commercial and industrial users of the northern forest, said his group was never asked to be part of the steering committee.
"It was a very hidden process," he said.
Conlogue called the steering committee's proposal a back-door attempt to create a national park, which his group adamantly opposes. He said if uses are restricted by conservation easements, the land will become less valuable and owners will be more willing to sell it to the federal government.
"We have no reason to believe anything they are saying about this," Conlogue said. His group will send letters of protest to state and federal officials, he said.
The steering committee has kept its proposal largely under wraps until it can get all of its members to agree to it. Whether that will happen is uncertain. Several members of the group, including Giffen of the Maine Forest Service, said negotiations are so sensitive that any newspaper coverage could cause them to fall apart.
"This is very, very tender," he said.
Once the proposal is complete, Giffen said, the group will campaign to gain public support for it.
Jon Lund, publisher of the Maine Sportsman magazine, which has 20,000 subscribers, recently editorialized in favor of a national park feasibility study.
Lund said a national park would attract visitors to Maine. He points to former Gov. Angus King, who strenuously opposed a national park, then after leaving office went on a months-long family tour of the country and its national parks.
"I am at a loss as to why the political leadership seems so adamantly opposed to it. We should talk about it," Lund said.
Staff Writer Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at: bquimby@pressherald.com
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Additional Photos
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 click image to enlarge
Trees rise from land in Township 12, Range 15 in northern Maine. The state has trees growing on 90 percent of its land base, or 17.8 million acres. About 95 percent of the timberland is privately owned, with small, non-industrial landowners holding more than 6.2 million acres. As an economic resource, Maine’s forests directly employ nearly 23,000 people. 1997 Associated Press file photo |
 click image to enlarge
The 10 million acres known as the North Woods (dark green on map) is the largest unfragmented forest east of the Mississippi River. |
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30 COMMENTS
MECommenter said...
I don't feel bad at all that the national park advocates (actually there exists only one organization) was left out. However, it would be interesting to know who else is on this stakeholders group making decisions that we'll all have to live by. If only conservation easements come of it, that's ok. However, if there are larger agreements that tilt the balance in favor of restrictions, then a new battle will have begun.
March 9, 2010 at 6:05 AM Report abuse
Gary said...
It's a good time to buy conservation easements, because demand for development lots in these areas, (Like Moosehead Lake), is in the crapper and even companies like Plum Creek must realize that the roaring early 2000's may never be seen again in our lifetimes, or even our childrens' lifetimes. This recession has re-shaped the landscape and there's no quick fix for that. In the absence of lucrative development deals, many landowners will likely be more receptive to the idea of selling conservation easements, because they may be the only game in town for quite a while.
March 9, 2010 at 7:31 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Is Beth Quimby related to Roxanne Quimby...yup, the one whose landholdings are in the thousands of acres now and has long sought a North Woods park as part of the National park system and eroding support for Baxter State Park.
March 9, 2010 at 8:07 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Having flown over n. Maine several times; from the perspective of a national park it has nothing going for it...this isn't Yellowstone, Yosemite, or even Acadia or Baxter; but a boring monotonous landscape of nearly identical tree plantations. Along with the health care and pension bills, and a lifetime of war related injuries, the Federal government can barely fund the existing national parks let alone a new one...heck, the next thing you know, people will be proposing gigantic off shore wind farms using federal subsidies!
March 9, 2010 at 8:15 AM Report abuse
Bole said...
Oh Yes, the committee to prevent progress, advancement and jobs in the state of Maine. Good work.
March 9, 2010 at 8:38 AM Report abuse
chev said...
[lack of] common_cents said: "...a boring monotonous landscape...". You should not opine about that which you do not know. You have never been to the Grand Canyon: I have walked to the bottom of it. You have never been to the north woods except to see it as if looking at a picture on your wall (lazy): I have seen it up close. Both the Grand Canyon and the north woods offer great, sometimes unimaginable beauty that is worth protecting for future generations and from those who would only exploit the resources for their own short-term gain.
March 9, 2010 at 9:20 AM Report abuse
GURRY70 said...
Hi there, I'm Secretary Tom Vilsack and this Secretary Ken Salazar. We're from the federal government and we are here to help you. BEWARE!
March 9, 2010 at 9:24 AM Report abuse
Chris said...
test
March 9, 2010 at 9:52 AM Report abuse
mutt said...
WTF I wish we were as passionate for wiring the WHOLE state for high speed internet access! Peopel from across the country could come and LIVE ANYWHERE in Maine and enjoy the beauty we blater on about. High paying proffesional jobs that can be done with high speed access and wireless service!! Angus and verizon talkded about it but never delivered. NAFTA killed manufacturing our "brand " is our 4 season beauty lets do something to attract high paying proffesional jobs and not telemarketers!!! I want my kid to have the option of satying in Maine and LIVING ANYWHERE. To bad baldy wasn't as passionate about this as he his the wind.
March 9, 2010 at 10:00 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
" but a boring monotonous landscape of nearly identical tree plantations" Spoken like a true one "from away"...Too bad for you there aren't any Wal*Marts.
March 9, 2010 at 10:03 AM Report abuse
John said...
The best approach for the northern woodlands is to establish a system based on the Adirondack Park approach. The Adirondacks are a VAST area (larger than the state of Vermont), and the system allows private ownership, development, industry etc. but at the same time protects the uniqueness and wilderness with reasonable protective measures. There are vibrant towns and cities (Saranac Lake and Lake Placid) within the area as well as colleges (Paul Smiths). The APA allows people to earn a living without raping the region to keep the most valuable areas "forever wild".
March 9, 2010 at 10:05 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
Get these liberal moonbats out of Maine before they totally anihalate whats left of liberty, private land ownership, and free enterprise!
March 9, 2010 at 10:20 AM Report abuse
Nan said...
Funny how the article references the resorts and housing units in Plum Creek's development plan's but there's no mention of the hundreds of thousands of acres of conservation that are a part of that same plan. There is way more being conserved than developed, but you wouldn't know it by that reference. Good fair and balanced reporting, Ms. Quimby. NOT!!!
March 9, 2010 at 10:32 AM Report abuse
Dee said...
Let me make myself heard loud and clear -- WE DO NOT WANT A NATIONAL PARK IN THE NORTHERN WOODS! The majority of Mainers do not want a National Park. The feds can't even take care of the parks they have.
March 9, 2010 at 12:08 PM Report abuse
Pit said...
Well said Chev!
March 9, 2010 at 1:38 PM Report abuse
John said...
Hey proconserv-I have a better idea; why don't you and all the other racist ignoramuses move to dumbf**kistan (the south)and secede again? Leave the last area in the US that still has some intelligence left (the norhteast) alone.
March 9, 2010 at 2:12 PM Report abuse
RestoreMA said...
It is amazing looking at this list of people that are on the steering comm. It looks 99% protectionist, who is there for the people in this area? Some of these State officials are out of the same mold. This is a farce in my opinion, just a back door entrance. Delicate talks, just like the ones on Health Care and Democrats, yea right. Their are other words that come to my mind, like sneaky.
March 9, 2010 at 3:31 PM Report abuse
RestoreMA said...
Almost forgot you ever think the St. Pierre wasn't on the comm. that it might be a red herring in disguise? As far as the majority of Mainers, where was this survey taken, yea right.
March 9, 2010 at 3:40 PM Report abuse
Since1710 said...
There is certainly a common ground that will satisfy a working forest, recreational use, and conservation easements. Those of you who take the either/or position are either left wing or right wing. And both groups are NUTS. Polarization is the main reason the USA can't get its finger out of its a$$ and move forward. It is oh so evident here in Maine and restricts our improving our lot. It's time to back off from radical views and find a consensus to move Maine forward in many different areas. I wish.
March 9, 2010 at 5:17 PM Report abuse
mainelined said...
Why do people have to take the all or none position? There is room in all of those millions of acres for working forestry, recreation, and conservation. It would be great if all of the groups in this "closed" discussion - not this post - could reach common ground. It would indicate that they have far more intelligence and common sense than many others.
March 9, 2010 at 5:35 PM Report abuse
common_cents said...
CHEV your presumptions are moronic at best; insulting at worse. There are few areas worthy of National Park status; if they were, someone would have tried to add them into the State park system a long time ago, much in the way the AT corridor was protected. You URBALS (urban liberals) in your Bean boots want everyone to believe Plum Creek is a 'wilderness' when any kid can GOOGLE EARTH the tract and see just how well developed it is.
March 9, 2010 at 6:19 PM Report abuse
TWlsbEJyb29r said...
hmmm, my post did not appear. I wonder how many others are being censored?
March 9, 2010 at 6:44 PM Report abuse
ev said...
This is not an issue of being "worthy" of a National Park, which is not a valid criterion at all. The only fundamental issue is that of private property rights, which is not superseded by anyone's claims of a preservationist 'higher status', as if that were an intrinsic value subordinating human rights and the values of individuals. That is in addition to such claims of "worthiness" for a preservationist takeover being subjective, politically motivated hype intended to remove private property rights and a politically free, private economy.
March 9, 2010 at 8:37 PM Report abuse
SaveALynx said...
Do you all realize that EVERY survey that's been done on the national park issue has found that a majority of Mainers DO want a national park? And we're not just talking one or two surveys, but almost a dozen. The twisted thing about the Keeping Maine's Forests initiative is that its goal is to try and get hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money while banning the creation of any new public lands, such as a national park, in Maine's North Woods. Federal/public taxpayer dollars being used to stop what the majority of Mainers want. Great plan.
March 9, 2010 at 9:46 PM Report abuse
chev said...
[lack of] common_cents - do not put words in my mouth. i did not say national park. you know nothing. i am a republican. you are stupid. is that the best you can do is google a wilderness? you are a loser. go back to your tv.
March 9, 2010 at 10:00 PM Report abuse
Ieesha said...
We do not want a National Park or a State park, they cant take care of the ones they have. Why wasnt the Maine Woods for Coalition Invited? Because no one wants to hear their opinion? Perhaps Northern Maine should still seperate from Southern Maine? I think the government should stay out of the Maine North Woods and leave us alone. Logging companys may not be the best but its because of them that we still have the northern maine woods. When they sell out does anyone out there have a good story about the results? Webber Timber Land sold off some of their lands and I ended up loosing everything because of the insisted uponed association by the state! oh and lets not forget new owners more gates! access denied!
March 9, 2010 at 11:05 PM Report abuse
cooper said...
What a bunch of malarkey. Just take a look at the shaded area on the map below, then compare it to another state map. What they are considering the "North Woods" is pretty foolish. Unfragmented???? Yea, right. I live in southern Maine now, but spent my first 27 years in Jackman and still have a camp in the area. I wonder how many people who feel so strongly about making most of the state a national park have spent any time there (other than a vacation). Most of the land is privately owned. People live and work there. How about we make southern Maine a national park instead? Sound ridiculous? Well so does the idea of making northern Maine a national park.
March 10, 2010 at 7:10 AM Report abuse
BonusEleven said...
Hey savalynx, I just got myself 12 pelts from those there creatures your trying to save last fall in southern Quebec. I Got them right along the border with Maine. Now that they'll be protected in Maine it will be nice to pick 'em up on their way back and forth across the border. Climate change and global warming will likely drive them further north as well. They got nice pelts and the price is actually up on them lately!!
March 10, 2010 at 9:28 AM Report abuse
Nan said...
SaveALynx said... "Do you all realize that EVERY survey that's been done on the national park issue has found that a majority of Mainers DO want a national park." Hey SaveALynx, push polls commissioned by radical left-wind environazi organizations like CLF and NRCM DO NOT COUNT. Nor do surveys that target certain audiences. Talk to us when you commission an impartial survey with impartial questions to a balanced audience. BTW, I was not asked, and I vehemently oppose a north woods national park. Why don't you, Jym with a Y, and the rest of your cronies from south of Augusta (and even south of the Piscataqua River) leave Maine's north woods alone?
March 10, 2010 at 9:37 AM Report abuse
mnt said...
Former Govenor King did not want to go the national parks route for he was already planning for his turbines. National Parks means no turbines how clever he was. Now someone wants to devide Maine in half? Whats next?
March 10, 2010 at 6:09 PM Report abuse