Position Statement
Adopted November 8, 2004
1. Issue: Conservation of lands east of Baxter State Park between the Park and the East Branch of the Penobscot River (the East Branch Lands).
2. Background: It has long been recognized that development, unsustainable timber harvesting, or other incompatible uses in lands adjacent to BSP will have an adverse impact on the Park. BSP has acquired lands southerly of the original park and the state and conservation organizations have partially conserved lands southerly and westerly of the park. The north is protected by the SFMA and the lakes. The east is unprotected other than lands owned by Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. a private foundation of Roxanne Quimby. Logging on unprotected lands especially threatens park resources.
3. Friends' Position: Friends of Baxter State Park believes that the conservation of the East Branch lands, especially the area around Katahdin Lake, is of paramount importance. FBSP supports efforts to conserve these lands through, in priority order, state acquisition, compatible conservation ownership by another entity, or easement.
4. Rationale: Friends of Baxter State Park is committed to enhancing the wilderness values of the Park, which does not exist in a vacuum. Indeed its integrity and resource values are interconnected with, and impacted by, adjacent lands. Conservation of East Branch buffers will enhance the wild character of the Park, especially its wildlife and experiential wilderness qualities. In particular the area around Katahdin Lake merits protection and possibly incorporation into the Park. Governor Baxter included this area in a map showing his vision of the completed Park. Dean Bennett in his keynote presentation to the Friends 2004 Annual Meeting outlined the concept of concentric circles of protection to buffer wilderness areas.
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January 21, 2005
Steven Rowe
Attorney General of Maine
6 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Roland Daniel Martin
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
41 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Alec Giffen
Director, Maine Forest Service
22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Dear Members of the Baxter State Park Authority,
The East Branch Lands have recently been in the news, and the Friends of Baxter State Park support the conservation of these lands along the park boundary. We believe the best of all conservation measures is for some or all of these lands to be protected under public ownership.
Attached is our full position statement for this very important issue. Because of ongoing negotiations, we are not actively publicizing this position. However, we are ready to assist you and others in any way we can to better protect the wilderness values of the park.
Sincerely,
Charles Jacobi
President
cc: Irvin “Buzz” Caverly, Park Director
Gary Trask, Chairman of the Baxter State Park Advisory Committee
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June 24, 2005
Steven Rowe
Attorney General of Maine
6 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Roland Daniel Martin
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
41 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Alec Giffen
Director, Maine Forest Service
22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Dear Members of the Baxter State Park Authority:
Earlier this year, the Friends of Baxter State Park wrote to you expressing our support for the protection of the East Branch Lands adjacent to Baxter State Park. In that letter, we said "The Friends of Baxter State Park believe that the conservation of the East Branch lands, especially the area around Katahdin Lake, is of paramount importance. FOBSP supports efforts to conserve these lands through, in priority order, public acquisition, compatible conservation ownership by another entity, or easement." We hope discussions for protection of these lands are continuing.
I recently flew around the Park and saw the timber harvesting and road building that has occurred to the south and northeast of Katahdin Lake. Any conservation of this area would be preferable to what will otherwise likely continue to happen. To the extent that it may be possible for some of these lands to be added to the Park and the Park Authority has any influence over the outcome, we urge you to press for the additional Park lands to be managed as wilderness sanctuary, in the same fashion that most of the Park is now managed. We believe that the addition of the lands around Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park as wilderness sanctuary would be most in keeping with Governor Baxter's vision. We wish you the best of luck in accomplishing the protection of these lands and offer our services to help in any way we can.
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify our position, and for all you do on behalf of the park and its wilderness values.
Sincerely,
Charlie Jacobi
President
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