EAST MILLINOCKET – After angering Katahdin area residents over her description of Maine as a “welfare state,” the founder of Burt’s Bees has offered two apologies, in a letter to the editor and in person at a meeting of residents who gathered to discuss her proposal for a national park.

Roxanne Quimby apologized Thursday when a resident at the meeting told her he didn’t realize Mainers were old, fat and stupid until he read remarks she made in a lengthy interview on Forbes.com about her proposal to create a 70,000-acre national park next to Baxter State Park.

“I sincerely apologize and I certainly do not believe that Maine people are old and fat and stupid. I have a great deal of respect for the people of Maine,” Quimby said.

She said she believes that Mainers have “one of the most amazing work ethics in the entire country.”

Quimby spoke during a National Park Regional Citizen Evaluation Committee meeting in which she said her park proposal would add to the economic diversity in the Katahdin area.

Quimby hopes to give 70,000 acres to the National Park Service in 2016 while opening up other property she’s buying to hunters and snowmobilers to help make up for the loss of recreation on park land.

The Bangor Daily News reported that Quimby would provide a $40 million endowment, including $20 million she hopes to raise with a national campaign, to cover park maintenance and operation costs.

Dan O’Leary, CEO of Roxanne Quimby Foundations, told residents that Quimby cares about the state, giving more than $6 million to Maine organizations over the last several years.

He said she rejected solicitations from out-of-state organizations because she is focused on helping Mainers.

“When people tell you that Roxanne doesn’t care about Mainers, they are not telling the truth,” he said.

Earlier in the week, Quimby wrote a letter to the Bangor Daily News apologizing for “unkind remarks.”

“I do not consider Maine a welfare state — in truth Maine can boast an impressive population of people who work tirelessly and show brave Yankee independence,” she wrote.

 

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