Mission and History

Our Mission

Friends of Baxter State Park strives to inspire passion for the Park's wild character in the spirit of Percival Baxter. We promote exemplary use, natural resource stewardship, and a healthy Katahdin region to ensure the Park forever remains a refuge.

Our History

” …shall forever be used for public park and recreational purposes, shall be forever left in the natural wild state, shall forever be kept as a sanctuary for wild beasts and birds, that no road or ways for motor vehicles shall hereafter ever be constructed thereon or therein.”

With these words, Percival Proctor Baxter, the great Maine philanthropist, conservationist, and beloved public servant, bequeathed to his fellow residents Baxter State Park. The gift included thousands of acres of pristine North Woods wilderness, including majestic Katahdin and the financial stability and organizational structure to ensure its future, protected from federal oversight or corporate interest. Baxter’s independent foresight and passion for the outdoors have continued to inspire many Mainers, his influence extending past the Park’s boundaries. His legacy thrives while Baxter State Park welcomes thousands of visitors every year, its forests, lakes, and mountains unchanged for nearly a century.

It’s no surprise that a group of Baxter enthusiasts, including naturalists, historians, environmentalists, hikers, teachers, residents, and many others, found each other through their united passion. They began a dialogue with Baxter Park Director, Buzz Caverly, sharing his concern that the Park could not sustain its growing popularity. Also, interest was growing in creating a new National Park in the area, acquiring additional land for Baxter, or combining these efforts that could include the land entrusted to the Baxter State Park Authority. Friends of Baxter State Park was established in 2000 as a group of independent citizens committed to Percival Baxter’s vision of keeping the area Forever Wild. They combined their various areas of expertise and resources to provide advocacy, outreach, and financial support in ways not conceived by the Park’s original charter but much needed to face today's challenges.

For twenty years, Friends of Baxter has worked closely with each Park Director and the Baxter State Park Authority to understand their concerns and provide concrete solutions to balance resource protection, recreation, and visitor safety. Since its inception, members have sat on the Park’s Advisory Board, providing a voice representing the public interest while delivering professional land management and conservation expertise. This influence has been beneficial as the Park’s boundaries grew, local and federal interests conserved neighboring areas and adjacent areas were opened to the public for recreational use. Friends of Baxter was an early supporter of a reservation system to limit capacity and manage visitation, endorsed the Nature Conservancy’s Katahdin Forest Project, launched the Katahdin Lake campaign and helped draft the Katahdin Lake Management Plan, and most recently, after a long-held concern over the preservation of the lands abutting the East Branch of the Park, welcomed the designation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

Friends of Baxter has also shared its depth and breadth on its board and staff by publishing essential books documenting Baxter State Park’s historical, cultural, and scientific significance. This effort includes Howard Whitcomb’s four-volume set, Percival P. Baxter’s Vision for Baxter State Park: An Annotated Compilation of Original Sources. For the first time in one source, it assembles the Deeds of Trust, judicial and attorneys’ general opinions, and Baxter’s voluminous speeches and correspondence associated with the Park’s creation and management. This compendium was followed by Whitcomb’s Governor Baxter’s Magnificent Obsession: A Documentary History of Baxter State Park, 1931-2006, Baxter State Park and Katahdin by Whitcomb and John Neff, and a five-year project, led by Glen Mittlehauser of the Maine Natural History Observatory, to complete a plant inventory of the Park by teams of professional botanists and citizen scientists, culminating in the publication of the Plants of Baxter State Park field guide.

Significant challenges for the rangers at Baxter State Park are visitors who arrive unprepared to experience a wilderness habitat or underestimate their physical abilities, place themselves and park resources in danger. Friends of Baxter serves as a conduit to the public in disseminating critical information, including the Know Before You Go guide, extensive information on its website providing travel and recreation information, and most recently, essential guidelines for safely visiting the Park during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friends of Baxter realized in order to protect Baxter’s legacy, it would be important to educate the next generation of environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts. In partnership with the Chewonki Foundation, the Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program was launched in 2008, providing ten Maine high schoolers with a week-long, in-depth backpacking experience in the Park. Each year, this program has continued to flourish, inspiring a new batch of students to explore careers in science and the environment. Although participants hail from the entire state, Friends saw a need to address local youth in the Katahdin region. This area has seen a significant economic decline since the closing of the paper mill. The Baxter Youth Conservation Corps was established as a job training program for youth to work alongside professionals on key trail projects in Baxter State Park. This program has not only exposed local youth to the enormous gift in their backyard but has also provided over $100,000 back into the local economy.

Friends of Baxter State Park’s youth programs are the embodiment of the organization’s mission to preserve, support, and enhance Baxter State Park’s wilderness character. Each year’s programs nurture the passion for this area that Governor Baxter experienced nearly a century ago and help ensure Baxter State Park will remain Forever Wild for generations to come.

The seismic challenges we have faced these past year have indeed shown us that everything is uncertain. However, this time has also taught us how important it is to cherish the people and the places that are dearest to us. Katahdin still stands, a symbol of both our resilience and our passions.

Two Decades of Forever Wild

As Friends of Baxter State Park approached its twenty-year milestone, we were eager to honor our founders and celebrate our achievements over the past two decades. We also wanted to gaze clear-eyed into the future. ours as an organization, as well as the future of the Park. This commemorative publication will stand as a record of our achievements as we reached our 21st anniversary. Many founders of our organization are still loyal members 21 years later. We also welcomed nearly 750 new members in 2020 and 2021. With a solid foundation and a strong infusion of new energy, we find our Friends are growing by leaps and bounds. The anniversary milestone and the achievements you read about in these pages are the work and legacy of all of us. Download our anniversary booklet.

The highlight of the event was our history as told by our former presidents, John Neff, Holly Dominie, Charlie Jacobi, Barbara Bentley, Richard Klain, and Ellen Baum. View their presentations below.