• Work continued this past summer on AMC’s ecological inventory of the Katahdin Iron Works property. Lisa Passerello, a graduate student at the University of Vermont, led the effort to establish a permanent ecological monitoring plot system. The plots are equally distributed between the 10,000-acre ecological reserve and the remainder of the property. These plots, which will be remeasured at 10-year intervals, will allow us to assess changes in the forest under both natural and managed conditions, and to determine progress toward AMC’s goals of restoring a more mature forest and increasing the presence of important habitat features such as large trees, snags and logs. The initial ecological survey conducted in summer 2004 identified more than 30 natural vegetation communities, 300 species of plants, and 100 species of birds on the property.

• Plum Creek is expected to submit revised development plans for more than 400,000 acres near Moosehead Lake to the Land Use Regulation Commission in late March or early April. AMC looks forward to reviewing and commenting on those plans, which are expected to differ from the company’s initial plans following LURC’s receipt of extensive public comment. In December, an opinion piece by AMC Deputy Director Walter Graff on Plum Creek's plans and AMC's vision for the 100-Mile Wilderness region was published in The Bangor Daily News.

• In late February, members of AMC's Education staff, in collaboration with Evergreen Enrichment Collaborative, provided free winter programming to Guilford and Greenville school children. Over two days, 18 young people learned about snowshoeing, animal adaptations to winter, and winter camping techniques. The following week, a second team of AMC instructors provided outdoor skills and natural history education in local schools in Greenville, Guilford, Lagrange, Milo, and Brownville. An estimated 200 pupils participated over the course of four days of programming.

• Insufficient snow cover forced the cancellation of the second annual Greenville-to-Brownville 100-Mile Wilderness Sled Dog Race, which had been set for Feb. 11, and was postponed to March 18. Organizers are already looking forward to next year’s race, which is set for Feb. 10. The race is a popular spectator event, and is a great example of community partnerships in the region, with mushers, local businesspeople, municipal officials, and residents from throughout Maine’s Piscataquis County participating. The towns of Greenville and Brownville, and members of the Moosehead Riders and the Brownville snowmobile clubs all collaborate on the event, which is a part of Greenville’s Snowfest celebration. AMC Maine Chapter members Bryan Courtois and Spencer Meyer participated in Greenville’s Snowfest activities Feb. 11, leading outdoor skills training demonstrations and presenting a slide show on winter survival and backcountry travel.

• Plans for 2006 trail work on AMC’s KIW property include completing and opening the remaining three miles of the Indian Mountain Circuit Trail and improving the Trout Brook Trail with drainage and bridging. We're also planning on making some improvements to the trails at Little Lyford Pond Camps, including the River Trail and the Pond 1 Loop Trail. Two professional crews will be working on the trails from June through August. AMC’s Maine Chapter is also planning three volunteer trail work weekends, based at Little Lyford Pond Camps, on May 26-29; June 30-July 4; and October 6-9. Check out AMC’s trail crew schedule, which includes trail work opportunities this spring and summer at Little Lyford Pond Camps, Baxter State Park, and Acadia National Park.

• Get an early start planning your family’s summer vacation by checking out AMC's Family Camps program at Little Lyford Pond Camps. The program has been improved and expanded, and is designed to provide ample opportunities for families to enjoy the outdoors together, while learning about the region’s natural history and practicing outdoor stewardship. Also, AMC’s popular Teen Wilderness Adventure programs are coming to Maine this summer, with opportunities for teens from 13 to 18 to develop skills in backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, rock-climbing, and camping, while interacting with peers and developing teamwork skills. Sessions are slated for Acadia National Park, the Appalachian Trail, the West Penobscot, and Little Lyford Pond Camps. Five- seven- and 16-day programs will be offered. Reserve early for these exciting new programs.

• A new building housing Little Lyford Pond Camps’ wood-fired sauna, new showers, and new Clivus composting toilets opened this season. Kudos to AMC’s construction crew for their fine work.

Profile: Meet Musher Terry Knowles

AMC Special Projects Manager Gerry Whiting was recently named to the Piscataquis Tourism Task Force by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Commission's Executive Committee. Members were chosen based on professional background, geographic diversity, knowledge of tourism, and interest in helping to build the regional economy. The mission of the task force is to develop and/or enhance tourism opportunities and capacity throughout Piscataquis County.

Master Maine Guide Bob LeRoy, who serves as AMC's Land Stewardship Manager, recently joined the Board of Directors of the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization, a non-profit membership organization that advocates for the needs of wilderness guides and the preservation and restoration of remote places required for wilderness guiding to take place. Former owner of Little Lyford Pond Camps, Bob has been a licensed Master Maine Guide since 1994. AMC is a supporting member of MWGO.

AMC Forest Ecologist Dave Publicover reports that the 2006 harvesting plan for AMC’s Katahdin Iron Works property will emphasize removing diseased and low-value trees and releasing the well-established understory, while retaining large diameter, high-value or long-lived trees (primarily sugar maple and yellow birch) to create a multi-level forest canopy. Timber management is focused on restoring hardwood stands that have been degraded by beech bark disease and previous high-grading (i.e., the removal of the most valuable trees).  The planned harvest for this year will be around 8,800 cords, which includes the regular annual harvest of 6,800 cords plus additional volume that was not harvested last year when heavy rains in late August forced an early shutdown of harvesting operations.  Publicover estimates the harvest will employ from 12 to 15 people for logging and trucking.  Wood cut on the property will supply Maine mills. 

MWI and the cross-country skiing opportunities available at Little Lyford Pond Camps were highlighted in a feature story in The (Montreal) Gazette on March 11, while snowshoeing opportunities on the property were highlighted in a Jan. 15 feature story in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Winter recreation at Little Lyford Pond Camps was the focus of an item on Conde Nast Traveler's website, concierge.com.

Editor-in-Chief Paul Guernsey reports on MWI and the pleasures of fly fishing for brook trout at Little Lyford Pond Camps, in the March issue of Fly Rod & Reel magazine.

View ongoing press coverage of the Maine Woods Initiative.

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.