Kevin Adam, a veteran of the Maine Warden Service with three decades of experience in conservation law enforcement, has been appointed as the new park director of Baxter State Park, the park’s authority announced Tuesday.

Adam joined Baxter State Park in 2020 as a district law enforcement ranger, where he assisted in managing seven campgrounds and supervised three full-time enforcement rangers and 20 seasonal staff. He had served with the Maine Warden Service for 28 years before retiring as lieutenant from Greenville-based Division D. Adam oversaw the Warden Service’s search and rescue program for 11 years.

He replaces Eben Sypitkowski, who left the park director job in early 2022 to become director of land management for The Nature Conservancy in Maine.

Baxter is unique among the state’s preserved lands because it is not part of the state park system, as is often believed. The park covers nearly 210,000 acres and is managed as a wildlife sanctuary.

The land was given to the state by Percival Baxter, governor of Maine from 1921-25. Baxter started purchasing land around Katahdin in 1930 and didn’t stop for 32 years until he had preserved 201,000 acres. He donated the land in 1931 with the stipulation that it “forever be left in its natural wild state.”

“Kevin’s proven commitment to Governor Percival Baxter’s vision will serve the Park well,” Patty Cormier, director of the Maine Forest Service and authority chair of Baxter State Park, said in a news release. “Kevin has an exceptional understanding of the terms of the Baxter Trust and the Park’s day-to-day workings. Kevin’s experience, knowledge, leadership, and team-building skills will be advantageous as he works with BSP staff to bring the Park to a heightened level of excellence.”

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