| | Dear Friend,
Welcome to the June 2007 edition of the Appalachian Mountain Club's 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.
 | I had a chance to visit Little Lyford Pond Camps earlier this month. We were doing some filming for an upcoming television series. We toured our new wilderness campsites, our forestry operations, met with the AMC trail crew building new trails and bridges, did some fly fishing, hiked up to Indian Mountain for a fantastic view of Katahdin and sat around and talked with guests at Little Lyford.
It was what has become a typical week at Little Lyford: Guests from all over New England coming to explore the deep Maine Woods to hike, fish, paddle, bike or just relax. Talking to the guests, I was struck by how much they were enjoying themselves, how much they felt they were deep in the wilderness, and how inspired they were by what we have undertaken.
I hope each and every one of you finds the time to come see and experience what we are up to in Maine. I am convinced once you come you will be back again. And each time you come you will help us protect and enjoy this very special place.
See you this summer,
Walter Graff
AMC Deputy Director
Conservation
This spring the Maine Legislature, with broad bi-partisan support, approved a $17 million bond to replenish the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program, a state land conservation funding program that protects and conserves land, scenic values, and working forests, and protects public access for recreation. LMF has played an important role in helping to conserve land in the 100-Mile Wilderness region, including AMC’s Katahdin Iron Works property. With legislative approval, a land bond now goes before Maine voters in November. We encourage Maine residents to vote for the Natural Resources Bond on the November ballot. Learn more >>
Outdoor Recreation
Family Adventure Camps return this summer, and there are still spaces available. The July 8-13 session at Medawisla Wilderness Camps is full, but you can still reserve your spot at the Little Lyford Pond Camps Family Adventure Camp slated for July 15-20, and enjoy hiking paddling, birding, and other family friendly activities in the 100-Mile Wilderness region.
The latest recreational opportunity on the Katahdin Iron Works property is a mountain bike route from Medawisla Wilderness Camps to Little Lyford Pond Camps via old logging roads that offer some spectacular scenery and varied and, at times, challenging, terrain. We’re sprucing things up a bit, and installing directional signs along the route before the official opening, which is expected very soon. Prospective riders should check in with the folks at Medawisla before heading out to get additional information on the route.
Work on a new hiking and skiing trail to connect Little Lyford Pond Camps and Chairback Mountain Camps is moving along well. AMC trail crew has rough cut the trail through to the KI Road and have already installed five new bridges. The plan is to have the trail open this winter.
AMC Land Stewardship Manager and Registered Maine Master Guide Bob LeRoy reports the wild brook trout fishing at Little Lyford Pond Camps has been very good over the past few weeks. Anglers are eagerly awaiting the lively evening fishing that comes soon with the Hexogenia hatch. "We always look forward to the Hex hatch, which generally starts in early July," said Bob. "Also known as the Green Drake hatch, it allows the unique opportunity for families to come up and spend the daytime hiking, paddling, and exploring, and then enjoy some fast-paced fishing during the last hour of daylight, when the brookies thrash the surface for these protein-rich bugs."
Members of AMC’s Maine Chapter and AMC staff are scouting out a location on the Katahdin Iron Works property for a new shelter that will be funded by the Worcester Chapter and built by the Maine Chapter. This venture is a testament to the growing excitement within the chapters for the Maine Woods Initiative.
Improvements are continuing at Little Lyford Pond Camps. The old sauna building is now serving as the bunkhouse, while the former bunkhouse is being totally rehabilitated with a ground-up restoration. Plans are to use part of the renovated structure as a gathering place and part as a bunkhouse. Also, carpenter Kevin Sproul has shown his exceptional skill with the renovation of White Cap cabin. Recently a rough-around-the-edges storage shed, the sparkling new cabin is fast becoming the most sought-after in camp. Other overnight options on the property include new campsites at the west end of Long Pond, which have been well-received, as has the improved hand-carry boat launch nearby. We have provided a boat dolly to help visitors transport boats and gear to the water’s edge.
Community Partnerships
AMC instructors conducted a Wilderness First Aid workshop at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Stobe Seaplane base in Greenville in March. Nine participants received Wilderness First Aid certification. Based on interest from the participants, we’re looking into the possibility of offering Wilderness First Responder instruction in the future.
A group of 13 6th-graders from the Brownville Elementary School are set to participate in AMC’s A Mountain Classroom program in September. The students and two educators from the school are scheduled to participate in a two-day program at AMC’s Little Lyford Pond Camps, hiking, learning map and compass skills, doing water studies, and joining in team-building exercises.
Nine Boy Scouts and four scout leaders from the Brownville area converged on Little Lyford Pond Camps May 11 - 13 to help with camp and trail clean up. AMC Camps and Programs Manager Shannon LeRoy gave a talk on trail building and maintenance and and LLPC Manager Chuck James lined up the boys the next day with chores for the morning. In the afternoon, they hiked, fished and paddled. That evening they all sat around the campfire and make s’mores and studied the stars. The Scouts, scout leaders, and AMC staff hope to continue these activities in the future.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the National Park Service, and AMC held the first of three "A Trail to Every Classroom" workshops at AMC’s Little Lyford Pond Camps June 1-2. Rita Hennessy of the National Park Service led the two-day program, which included 13 participants. The group hiked in Gulf Hagas, and discussed David Sobel's Place Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities. The group is set to meet again in Harper Ferry, W.V., in late July, and the final workshop is scheduled to be held at AMC’s Medawisla Wilderness Camps Oct. 26-27.
People
Meet AMC Maine Woods Trail Supervisor Mike Cooper >>
Sustainable Forestry
Forestry operations in 2007 will again be in the southern section of T7 R9. We will primarily be taking diseased beech out of buffers surrounding old clearcuts made by prior owners more than 10 years ago. Wayne Ireland of Howland, Maine, is the contractor and he is working with two crews. This is his second year operating on AMC property, and he is impressed with our program to improve the stocking of the forest over the next 50 years while harvesting timber at the same time.
 | Campaign for the Maine Woods
AMC has the opportunity to receive two major challenge grants, making this an incredible time to leverage a gift to the Campaign for the Maine Woods. In order to receive an unprecedented $1.5 million challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation, AMC needs to raise $3.5 million by March 2008. In addition, AMC could receive another $1 million grant from a private foundation if we can raise $2 million in gifts of $25,000 or more. With only 10 months left to meet The Kresge Foundation challenge, AMC is calling on all members to participate in the Campaign for the Maine Woods. If you would like to discuss how you can help AMC meet these challenges, please contact Molly Ruffle at (617) 523-0655 x320 or mruffle@outdoors.org.
MWI in the News
AMC’s Medawisla Wilderness Camps were featured in an article on “America’s Greatest Adventure Lodges” in the July 2007 edition of Outside Magazine.
"Pleasant ride beckons; New trail to open in Maine," Concord Monitor, June 26, 2007
New Hampshire Public Television crews filmed recent programs, for the "Windows to the Wild" series at AMC’s Medawisla Wilderness Camps, where the focus was on cross-country skiing and dog-sledding, and at Little Lyford Pond Camps, where flyfishing was the main attraction. Click for broadcast dates of these programs >>
"Night Spots: Backcountry overnights don't always involve tents," Concord Monitor, March 20, 2007
Concierge.com, May 2007: "Concierge.com's recommendations on what to see and do: Maine"
View ongoing press coverage of the Maine Woods Initiative and AMC's Maine sporting 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, Shannon LeRoy, AMC Files |  |
