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In the summer of 1999, ten people who shared a passion for the wilderness values of Baxter Park met to consider forming a Friends of Baxter State Park organization. Each felt a compelling need for a citizen organization committed to the preservation, support, and enhancement of this very special place. Over the next eight months, the group worked diligently to lay the groundwork for such an effort.
In May of 2000, invitations were sent to a wider list of persons known to share a similar passion for the Park and its unique resources. An organizational meeting took place the evening of May 16, 2000 in Fairfield Maine. There a basic organizational structure was authorized, and an interim nominating committee was asked to nominate persons to serve on the Board of Directors, and strong support was voiced.
Within four weeks, the Friends had fully formed and the first Board meeting was underway. After just one meeting, the Board had adopted a formal mission statement and had determined a clear course of action. It took less than one year to initiate and complete incorporation as a non-profit organization and to begin a membership drive that generated significant financial support and over 100 members.
Since then, Friends of Baxter State Park has grown to nearly 500 members and has increased the number of Board members, has supported the Park before committees of the Maine Legislature, has done volunteer work in the Park, has presented its views to the Baxter State Park Authority, has conducted various events and lectures at the Park and around the State, and has taken formal positions on Park policy issues.
A quarterly newsletter, Forever Wild, keeps members informed about the Park and activities of FBSP, and annual meetings bring together membership for business decisions and informative presentations, such as Dean Bennett's 2004 address on wilderness and a series of talks on
lands adjacent to the Park in 2005. On May 31, 2005, FBSP culminated a three-year project to bring together all extant materials related to Baxter State Park for use by the public. Percival P. Baxter's Vision for Baxter State Park: An Annotated Compilation of Original Sources in Four Volumes, edited and annotated by Dr. Howard Whitcomb of Georgetown, was presented to the State of Maine and seven libraries at a celebration event held at the State House Hall of Flags (click here for photos). The completion of this project marked a significant achievement for FBSP.
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