Maine Woods National Park: The time has come

An introductory overview to the idea of creating a Maine Woods National Park & Preserve and why it so important to act now. The ten million acre heart of the Maine Woods in northern Maine still survives today as the greatest undeveloped region east of the Rockies. But much of the timber companies land is now up for grabs, development is causing property prices to skyrocket, and the land is in imminent danger of being fragmented forever. It would be a tragic loss. The proposed 3.2-million-acre Maine Woods National Park and Preserve would secure an area larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined. But it must happen soon while the land is still affordable. This is a complex issue and the video is intended to serve as an introduction and call to action.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Maine
• Woods
• National
• Park
• Preserve
• wilderness

[grandisleme]

english go home

[mainelogger91]

@jflaherty234 Thank you....you hit it right on the head. Coming from my point of view (I am a logger), I know exactly what would happen if a national park was created. A lot of loggers, maybe myself included, foresters, mill workers, carpenters etc. would be hurt by this and the people out there like myself would lose their jobs. They want the entire north maine woods...not just 3 million acres. It makes me sick...

[jflaherty234]

Heartily disagree with this idea. Let me start I personally have only experienced a small fraction of the Maine woods. I have paddled the Allagash, St. John, Penobscot, Dead, Moose, and Kennebec. Spent many weekends criss crossing the dirt roads fly fishing, hiking and camping with friends. My family has a camp on the extremely north end of the Maine woods. And I lived for three years on Mt. Desert Island, the home of Acadia national park. And I am in love with it all.

[jflaherty234]

Many proponents feel that a park would create "public access" and preservation of the woods and wildlife. But they fail to recognize that these are long standing tenants that Maine has stood by for years. I would encourage at this moment all who have yet to experience this to take a trip to Maine and enjoy the vast wilderness, nearly all of the paper lands plus preserved lands of the Saint John, Allagash, Appalachian Trail, and Baxter (to name a few) to which we all in this country have access.

[jflaherty234]

Wood harvesting is a major component of the northern Maine economy. Many of you seem to belittle this fact. As painful as it is to see cut lands, logging in maine is done sustainably through selective cutting and parceling across the whole of the Maine woods. A process that I would argue is healthy for both the woods and economy. Mainers more than anyone recognize the importance of conservation for the lands they work and play in.

[jflaherty234]

Economically speaking restricting logging to a smaller corridor would put undue economic strain on both loggers and the woods themselves. Additionally, this would put a financial strain on the Park Service to maintain roads deep into the maine woods, to which we already have full access, and which are currently paid for and rebuild yearly after the winter runoff by the paper companies. Your math simply doesn't add up.

[jflaherty234]

I consider myself a conservationist and outdoorsman at heart, but fail to see the merit of forming a National Park. This is not to say there lack room for improvement. But, as much as I respect the national park system, we don't need a sign of approval to attract people to some of the most beautiful woods in the country. Those who have an appreciation for the outdoors have and always will come, they will write about it, read about it, hear stories from their family and friends.

[mainelogger91]

@twochordcool Im pretty sure im not fat, living off welfare, and addicted to oxycodone either.

[mainelogger91]

@twochordcool Roxanne quimby also stated in an interview that she wants ALL of north maine woods, from Millinocket, to ashland and the allagash where I operate out of, all the way up to Escourt where I also operate. She ALSO called us mainers "Fat, living on welfare, and addicted to oxycodone." Do you really want someone who called us that to handle OUR land? Someone who isnt even from maine? She, and everyone else who wants this, will never get my support. Ever.

[twochordcool]

@mainelogger91 There are MILLIONS of undeveloped acres in the northern half of Maine. If half or more became a national park you would still have a job. (You are not logging all of it all the time) The few who lose their jobs would have to adjust, with the millions of other Americans having to do so at this time. And that might almost require you voting for politicians who TRULY care that Americans have jobs.