| | Dear Friend,
Welcome to the December 2006 Maine Woods Initiative News, an electronic newsletter designed to keep you up to date on the Appalachian Mountain Club's Maine Woods Initiative, a plan for land conservation that incorporates outdoor recreation, natural resource protection, nature-based tourism, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness region.
We’re pleased to announce that we have a new office in downtown Greenville. You can find Camps and Programs Manager Shannon LeRoy (photo) and other AMC staff at 7 Washington St. It’s best to call ahead, since they’re often in the field. The number is (207) 280-0691. U.S. postal mail address is AMC, P.O. Box 310, Greenville, ME, 04441
Exciting things are happening in Maine. Read on and see!
Sincerely,
Walter Graff
AMC Deputy Director
Conservation
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Plum Creek Oct. 24 announced a purchase and sale agreement to conserve nearly 345,000 acres in the Moosehead Lake area, marking one of the largest land conservation efforts in Maine history. The transaction fits with the Conservation Framework announced in March by TNC, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Forest Society of Maine, and is contingent on approval of a Plum Creek concept plan by the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC). The LURC review process is still in its early stages. Public hearings are likely this spring. Details on the agreement are in the press release (PDF) and Question-and-Answer sheet at www.outdoors.org. Representatives of the three conservation organizations presented details of the agreement at a community meeting in Greenville Oct. 25.
Outdoor Recreation
Camp-to-camp x-c ski and dog-sledding opportunities will be available this winter between Little Lyford Pond Camps, West Branch Pond Camps, and Medawisla Wilderness Camps. In addition to self-guided skiing options, AMC has slated a 4-day dog-sledding trip with Mahoosuc Guide Service Jan. 31-Feb. 3 that includes overnight accommodations at the camps. Call (603) 466-2727 to sign up for any of these opportunities. AMC can also put camp guests in touch with local mushing guides if they want to arrange their own dog-sledding trips. Visitors to Medawisla can enjoy an extensive network of cross-country ski trails this winter. Medawisla’s trails total about 36 miles, of which 15 miles are groomed.
AMC has reached an agreement to operate Chairback Mountain Camps for the public. Chairback Camps are located on Long Pond and will offer outstanding opportunities for paddling, hiking and skiing. We’ll issue an announcement when we determine an opening date for the camps.
AMC’s trail crew did an extraordinary amount of good work this year. Fifteen miles of all-season trail were newly opened, a new campsite was created on Long Pond, and the existing KI-Jo Mary campsite and boat access on Long Pond were improved. AMC Land Stewardship Manager Bob LeRoy was instrumental in the effort as well. Read more about AMC's trail work accomplishments.
AMC staff have been fielding questions about recreational use, including motorized use, on AMC lands. This fact sheet addresses those issues.
Community Partnerships
Two local snowmobile clubs are working with AMC on cooperative trail work. Bob LeRoy, AMC’s land stewardship manager, has been working with the Elliotsville Snowmobile Club to cut a new trail across a portion of AMC’s Katahdin Iron Works property to connect the Elliotsville snowmobile community to ITS connector 110. The Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club (MRSC) and AMC will be working together to relocate a section of trail out of the ecological reserve area, while ensuring continued snowmobile access on this important loop trail. The trail relocation has been a cooperative effort between MRSC, AMC, and Plum Creek.
AMC led two overnight trips at Moose Point Cabin in August for families living in the Greenville area. The trips were comprised of a father-and-son overnight and a mother-and-daughter overnight, each with 10 participants and two instructors. With each group, the instructors taught a map and compass course and a Leave No Trace course. Both groups also went canoeing and took a three-mile hike to waterfalls in Gulf Hagas. All of the participants expressed their desire to come back to the area to do more hiking in Gulf Hagas, which many had known about but hadn’t yet visited. This program was supported by a Moosehead Regional Educational Collaborative (MooseREC) Community Learning Center Grant and the Evergreen Enrichment Collaborative.
The return of the popular Greenville-to-Brownville 100-Mile Wilderness Sled Dog Race is set for February 10. Organizers from throughout Piscataquis County have been hard at work on the planning of this popular spectator event. The inaugural race in 2005 drew lots of interest, and its return was much anticipated in 2006, but lack of adequate snow cover led to its cancellation. Anticipation is greater than ever, this time around!
People
Meet Eric Stirling of West Branch Pond Camps.
Sustainable Forestry
Sustainable forestry continued on the KIW property for the third year in 2006, and harvesting is set to continue in the southern part of the property in 2007. There are now 160 ecological survey plots across the property (80 in the ecological reserve area and 80 in the non-reserve area) which will allow researchers to track changes in forest composition and structure over time, under both natural succession and active management, to assess progress toward the goal of managing for a more mature and structurally complex forest.
AMC Maine Woods Advocate Bryan Wentzell presented information on the Maine Woods Initiative at the first "All Things Woods" Expo in Portland, Maine, in October. The event was organized by the University of Maine, the Maine TREE Foundation and the Maine Forest Service.
MWI in the News
"Delicate Terrain," The Boston Globe Magazine
"Splendidly Snowbound," The Hartford Courant
"Of Moose and Maine," Ottawa Citizen
"The Angling Report"
View ongoing press coverage of the Maine Woods Initiative and Little Lyford Pond Camps.
View back issues of MWI News.
Media Contact: AMC Public Affairs Director Rob Burbank at rburbank@outdoors.org or (603) 466-2721, ext. 195. Contact Rob if you have ideas for articles to be included in future issues of MWI News. Photos: Rob Burbank, Courtesy of Eric Stirling |  |
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