An aspect of AMC that sets the organization apart from others is our longstanding focus on both conservation and recreation. It’s not an either-or proposition; one simply can’t exist in the AMC universe without the other.
AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative (MWI) provides a model for that combination of conservation and recreation, and one person who has a unique perspective on both is Gerry Whiting, MWI project manager for AMC.
Fit and tireless at 61, Whiting is as at home in an AMC hut as he is in the Maine Woods.
He served on the AMC’s Madison Spring Hut crew in 1960, and shares many friendships within the Old Hutmen’s (OH) Association. A professional forester, Whiting has spent the bulk of his career in the forest products industry. He was attracted back to AMC when he learned of the club’s desire to pursue what has become its largest-ever conservation and recreation project. The Maine Woods Initiative is a plan for land conservation that combines habitat protection, outdoor recreation, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region.
“When I learned of AMC’s vision for conservation in the Northern Forest, I thought the approach was innovative and exciting, and I knew I wanted to be a part of this,” Whiting said.
Under the direction of AMC Deputy Director Walter Graff, Whiting has served as AMC’s special projects manager since November 2001.
He was part of the team, supported by AMC’s Board of Directors and senior staff Leadership Team, that worked to acquire Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins and later, the surrounding Katahdin Iron Works (KIW) property—nearly 37,000 acres in the heart of Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region.
An outdoors enthusiast who has spent summers in Maine nearly every year since the age of 5, Whiting knows the woods well. He holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Maine and a master’s degree in forestry from the University of Michigan.
As part of its MWI work, AMC is partnering with Maine-based J.M. Huber Corp.—known as an ecologically progressive forestry firm--on a long-term sustainable harvesting plan for the KIW property. “Once we get a few years under our belts, we plan to seek Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for sustainable harvesting,” Whiting said.
He figures the positive economic benefit to the community of the current KIW timber operations is in the range of $250,000 per year. He points out that wood harvested is sold to nearby Maine mills.
Staff from all areas of the organization are contributing significantly to AMC’s work on the KIW property, which has included creation of more than 10 miles of new trails; repair and maintenance of cabins at Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins; development of new educational programs for local schoolchildren; building public support for land conservation; and data collection and planning toward creation of a 10,000-acre ecological reserve to protect the upper West Branch of the Pleasant River, important natural communities, and viewsheds along the Appalachian Trail.
AMC staff and volunteers are also involved in supporting the second annual 100-Mile Wilderness Sled Dog Race from Greenville to Brownville, which is set for Feb. 11, 2006. The race course will run through AMC’s KIW property, as it did in 2005, and additional activities are likely to take place at Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins to attract interest in the race.
“The race has been a great way to celebrate the diversity of winter recreation that’s possible in this part of the Maine Woods, and it has also served to build a stronger connection between the communities of Brownville and Greenville,” said Whiting. “I give the organizers a lot of credit for coming up with such an exciting and enticing event. We’re very pleased to be a part of it.”
When not engaged in his MWI duties, Whiting can often be found outdoors, hiking, paddling, or doing chores around home in North Yarmouth, Maine, or at the camp he built near Greenville. He and his wife, Meta, have two children, Derek and Kendra, and five grandsons ranging in age from two weeks to 9 years.
Whiting meets frequently with local residents and town and county representatives to share AMC’s vision and to forge new partnerships. He also serves as a director of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council and is also working with AMC colleagues and county representatives to develop a new map highlighting recreational opportunities in the area.
“With its multiple components of habitat protection, sustainable timber harvesting, outdoor recreation and community partnerships, the Maine Woods Initiative has really helped AMC walk the talk of conservation. We are actively involved in managing this landscape for a variety of uses for the benefit of the land, the community, and the public at large,” said Whiting. “It is very exciting.”
--Rob Burbank
Read more about the many accomplishments already achieved through the Maine Woods Initiative.
