Mission & History - Friends of Baxter State Park

Friends of Baxter State Park is an independent citizen group with a mission to preserve, support, and enhance the wilderness character of Baxter State Park in the spirit of its founder, Governor Percival Baxter.

Founded in 2000, Friends has grown over the past nineteen years into a vibrant organization and a trusted partner for Baxter State Park. We have an engaged membership, a full-time Executive Director, and a dedicated Board of Directors. Our key programs include:

Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program: FBSP created this program in 2009 to cultivate the next generation of wilderness leaders. Each August, ten Maine high school students spend nine days backpacking in the Park, working with two highly qualified leaders and more than a dozen specialists.

Trails Support: FBSP funded the first trails inventory of Baxter State Park in 2011. We have provided over $200,000 trails funding for Baxter State Park, including a major effort to reopen the Abol Trail, which was badly damaged in a landslide in 2014.

Advocacy and Education: FBSP monitors policy developments that affect Baxter State Park, and advocates for Governor Baxter’s Forever Wild vision. We maintain a full schedule of public events to share information relevant to wilderness values in the Park.

Biodiversity Research: FBSP was one of the lead organizations on the Plants of Baxter State Park project, a five-year effort to inventory the entire flora of the Park. We helped publish a field guide to all plant species found in the Park, develop a plant database for Park managers, and create a baseline for monitoring the effects of climate change.

Volunteerism: FBSP helps connect enthusiastic volunteers with critical maintenance and staffing needs in Baxter State Park. Thanks to funding from a Patagonia Environmental Grant in 2013, we were able to hire a part-time Volunteer Coordinator.

Publications: In addition to our quarterly newsletter Forever Wild, FBSP publishes books, calendars, and brochures that help support the wilderness values of Baxter State Park.

Search and Rescue: FBSP supports wilderness rescue capacity in the Park. We have donated rescue equipment and provided more than $3,000 in scholarships for Park rangers and volunteers to attend specialized, high-angle rescue training.

Key Documents

Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Maine. As a membership organization, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. You may download our organizational documents below:

Bylaws - Revised April 12, 2014
Articles of Incorporation
501(c)(3) Letter of Determination from the IRS
Public Charity Determination from the IRS

Chronology of Activities

Our historian has prepared a chronology of Friends activities since 2000. This list is not comprehensive, but it does provide an overview of our growth as an organization, and our charitable work on behalf of Baxter State Park.

2000

The first organizational meeting is held in Fairfield on May 16th and the first interim Board of Directors’ meeting is held a month later
Within a year, FBSP is incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization
A membership drive generates significant financial support and over 100 Founding Members
Board members begin the standard practice of attending meetings of the Baxter State Park Authority and the Advisory Committee

Board of Directors: John W. Neff, President; John Howard, Vice President; Joanne McPhee, Secretary; Don Hudson, Treasurer; William Bentley, Holly Dominie, Clint Dyer, David R. Getchell, Sr., Eric Hendrickson, Charlie Jacobi, Howard Lake, Pat Murtagh, Jon Tierney.
Membership Manager: Barbara Bentley

2001

FBSP continued the process of formation, established bylaws, and held its first Annual Meeting in Fairfield, Maine.

2002

Friends publishes the inaugural issue of Forever Wild, a quarterly newsletter, with David R. Getchell, Sr. serving as editor.
Friends holds its second Annual Meeting in Waterville. The meeting features a panel that includes Park Director Buzz Caverly, and a discussion on the pros and cons of further land protection adjacent to Baxter State Park.
Friends members participate in National Trails Day on the Chimney Pond Trail, and initiate a tradition of participating in National Trails Day events in the Park every year.
A delegation from the Board of Directors tours Baxter State Park with Director Buzz Caverly.
Readers of Forever Wild respond to the “Wilder Within” concept of Director Caverly, thereby initiating an ongoing dialogue with FBSP’s membership on issues of note that continues to this day.
The Board creates a slide show for use in public presentations and membership drives.
Membership approaches 300.
The first of many “Walk in the Park” programs is initiated by Bill and Barbara Bentley, providing an opportunity for members to meet and enjoy the Park together.

Board of Directors: Holly Dominie, President; Howard Lake, Vice President; Joanne McPhee, Secretary; Don Hudson, Treasurer; William Bentley, Clint Dyer, David R. Getchell, Sr., Eric Hendrickson, Charlie Jacobi, Howard Lake, Pat Murtagh, Jon Tierney.

2003

Friends begins to monitor potential real estate transactions on the East Branch Lands.
At Friends’ suggestion, the 100th Anniversary of Governor Baxter’s first visit to the Katahdin area is celebrated at Daicey Pond with Park staff, the Baxter State Park Authority, and Governor John E. Baldacci attending.
Friends holds its Annual Meeting in Waterville featuring a Park update from Director Caverly; a report on changes in land ownership in the Park’s vicinity by Deputy Commissioner of Conservation Karin Tilberg; and a memorial tribute for long-time Park volunteer and founding member of the Board, John Howard.

Board of Directors: Holly Dominie, President; David R. Getchell, Sr., Vice President; Joanne McPhee, Secretary; Don Hudson, Treasurer; William Bentley, Sally Daggett, Clint Dyer, Charlie Jacobi, Sandra Johnson, Howard Lake, Pat Murtagh, John Neff, Ken Spalding, Cindy Swan, Jon Tierney.

2004

Friends donates $3,000 to Baxter State Park. It is used to support staff management of moose-visitor interactions at Sandy Stream Pond, volunteer lake monitoring, and an invasive plants workshop.
Friends urges members to support the Nature Conservancy’s Katahdin Forest Project, which will buffer the Park border on the south and west through a conservation easement.
Friends holds its fourth Annual Meeting in Waterville featuring speaker and author Dean Bennett, Professor Emeritus (UMaine Farmington), delivering a paper entitled Wilderness, Preservation and Baxter State Park.
President Jacobi urges the Park to develop a long-range plan to further the move toward greater wilderness within the Park.
After careful consideration and spirited discussion, Friends writes to the Baxter State Park Authority, taking positions on several Park issues. We support the removal of the selected Daicey Pond cabins. We support actions taken at Sandy Stream and Stump Ponds to protect moose. We support changes in the reservation system and applaud the Advisory Committee’s work on it. We support the Park’s commitment to use a formal planning process called “limits of acceptable change.” We urge the Park to reopen the North Peaks Trail, arguing the reasons for its closure have diminished over time or have been mitigated. We continue to urge for comprehensive trails planning.
Friends winter enthusiasts participate in a review, chaired by Park staff, of snowmobile regulations.
Friends writes the Authority to urge conservation of the East Branch Lands to buffer the Park through (in priority order) public ownership, compatible conservation ownership by another entity, or easement.
Friends writes to the BSP Authority to urge that a suitable buffer be left as part of a planned harvest along the “legal mile” of the Tote Road that serves as a boundary of the SFMA.

Board of Directors: Charlie Jacobi, President; David R. Getchell, Sr., Vice President; Sally Daggett, Secretary; Don Hudson, Treasurer; William Bentley, Holly Dominie, Clint Dyer, Sandra Johnson, Howard Lake, John Loyd, Pat Murtagh, John Neff, Ken Spalding, Jon Tierney.

2005

Friends holds its fifth Annual Meeting in Waterville, featuring speakers Bart DeWolf, Manager of T5 R8 lands owned by Roxanne Quimby, and Dave Soucy, Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands (DOC), talking about the management of lands adjacent to the Park.
The publication of the four-volume set Percival P. Baxter’s Vision for Baxter State Park: An Annotated Compilation of Original Sources is announced at a May 31st ceremony in the Hall of Flags at the State House. Governor Baldacci accepts a copy on behalf of the State of Maine, and copies are also presented to the three Baxter State Park Authority members and selected public libraries from across the state.
This research project was undertaken by member Howard Whitcomb and assembles for the first time in one source the Deeds of Trust, judicial and attorneys’ general opinions, and Baxter’s voluminous speeches and correspondence associated with the Park’s creation and management. A grant from Davis Conservation Foundation helped underwrite this project.
Several members of the Board of Directors combine a trip to the Park with a flight around the park boundaries with the intent of seeing the East Branch Lands first-hand.
Irvin “Buzz” Caverly resigns as Director of Baxter State Park in May. He is replaced in December by Jensen Bissell, long-time BSP Resource Manager and supervisor of the Scientific Forest Management Area.
Membership reaches 450.
Barbara Bentley replaces Dave Getchell Sr. as editor of Forever Wild.

Board of Directors: Charlie Jacobi, President; Ken Spalding, Vice President; Sally Daggett; Don Hudson, Treasurer; William Bentley, Holly Dominie, Clint Dyer, Sandra Johnson, Howard Lake, John Loyd, Linda McKee, John Neff, Ken Spalding, Jon Tierney.
Administrative Manager: Mary Cooke

2006

Friends meets with new BSP Director Jensen Bissell to discuss a wide range of Park issues and partnership opportunities.
The Katahdin Lake campaign is launched at the State House on January 25th with Friends President Charlie Jacobi among the speakers.
Friends members testify at the public hearing for Katahdin Lake before the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry at the Civic Center on February 27th. Several Board Members also testify at working sessions of the standing committee during March and early April.
Four Friends Board Members are asked to serve on the grassroots committee for the Katahdin Lake Campaign.
The sixth Annual Meeting in Oakland features speakers Karin Tilberg, Deputy Commissioner (DOC), talking about the Katahdin Lake preservation effort, and BSP Director Jensen Bissell who gives a Park update.
The Appalachian Mountain Club Press publishes founding President John Neff’s new book, Katahdin: An Historic Journey
Throughout summer and the fall, FBSP members are active statewide in supporting the Katahdin Lake campaign; the Board of Directors contributes in excess of $10,000.
Friends helps clean up and carry out tons of trash at the Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps in anticipation that the campaign will succeed and Baxter State Park will oversee the lease.
The Katahdin Lake campaign succeeds! The Katahdin Lake parcel in T3 R8 is acquired after a successful $14M fundraising campaign by the Trust for Public Land, in cooperation with the Department of Conservation. A signed deed is transferred to the Baxter State Park Authority on December 14th and the official announcement by Governor Baldacci and other state officials occurs on December 15th in Millinocket and Portland.

Board of Directors: Charlie Jacobi, President; Ken Spalding, Vice President; Sally Daggett; Don Hudson, Treasurer; William Bentley, Steve Cartwright, Al Howlett, Howard Lake, Anne Huntington, Linda McKee, John Neff, Ken Spalding, Rex Turner, Howard Whitcomb.

2007

Friends offers comments on the draft Katahdin Lake Management Plan.
The seventh Annual Meeting is held in Oakland featuring Dr. Alison Dibble delivering the keynote address on the lichens and bryophytes of BSP.
Board Member Linda McKee attends a “No Child Left Inside” conference at Acadia National Park and the idea is born for what becomes the Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program.
The Baxter Park Wilderness Fund is established by Friends member and longtime supporter of the Park H. Frank Trautmann, Jr. It begins to provide annual financial support to the Park, supplementing the trust funds established by Governor Baxter.

Board of Directors: Barbara Bentley, President; Ken Spalding, Vice President; Sally Daggett, Secretary; Al Howlett, Treasurer; Chip Ahrens, Steve Cartwright, Don Hudson, Anne Huntington, Charlie Jacobi, Lester Kenway, Howard Lake, Linda McKee, Rex Turner, Howard Whitcomb, Chaitanya York.

2008

The first Warm Winter Weekend for members is held in late March at Twin Pine Camps on Millinocket Lake.
Friends Board Member Chaitanya York spearheads the launch of a new membership campaign.
The eighth Annual Meeting is held in Augusta featuring keynote speakers Maria Girouard, of the Penobscot Nation, speaking about the Penobscot’s historical, cultural, and spiritual ties to the Katahdin region, and BSP Chief Ranger Chris Drew, regaling attendees with stories of his years at the Park.
Rosemary Hastings replaces Mary Cooke as Administrative Manager.
Friends sends its first 4-person chainsaw crew to clear blowdowns early in the season and begins to support chainsaw training for members who want to help with spring cleanup of trails.
David R. Getchell, Sr., a Founding Director, is the recipient of the Espy Land Heritage Award. He shares the monetary award with Friends and two other organizations he helped found, the Maine Island Trail Association and the Georges River Land Trust.
Friends publishes Howard Whitcomb’s Governor Baxter’s Magnificent Obsession: A Documentary History of Baxter State Park, 1931-2006. This popularized and condensed version of his earlier work includes new material from Governor Baxter’s death in 1969 to today including the most recent acquisition of Katahdin Lake.
An anonymous donor’s gift makes possible the second printing of Percival P. Baxter’s Vision for Baxter State Park: An Annotated Compilation of Original Sources, thereby ensuring more widespread availability of the four-volume set across New England.
Friends, in collaboration with BSP, publishes the 2009 Baxter State Park Calendar with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
Friends publishes the Know Before You Go brochure for distribution at tourist kiosks and other locations throughout the state.

Board of Directors: Barbara Bentley, President; Ken Spalding, Vice President; Sally Daggett, Secretary; Al Howlett, Treasurer; Chip Ahrens, Don Hudson, Anne Huntington, Charlie Jacobi, Lester Kenway, Howard Lake, Linda McKee, Rex Turner, Howard Whitcomb, Chaitanya York.

2009

Howard Whitcomb and Barbara Bentley meet with Governor John E. Baldacci at the State House and to present to him signed copies of Governor Baxter’s Magnificent Obsession.
The ninth Annual Meeting is held in Augusta featuring former Attorney General Steve Rowe reflecting on his personal experiences in the Park and his service as a member of the Authority, and Carol Redelsheimer, Baxter State Park Resource Manager, introducing the Scientific Forestry Management area to members.
A Spring 2009 supplement to Forever Wild is devoted entirely to Jensen Bissell’s “State of the Park” address.
FBSP sends 4-person chainsaw crews to clear blowdowns from trails early in the season.
Friends launches the Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program. This week-long backpacking experience in the Park for ten Maine high school students is funded by a grant from the Quimby Family Foundation. Friends partners with the Chewonki Foundation of Wiscasset for staff and logistical support.
Friends, in collaboration with BSP, publishes the 2010 Baxter State Park Calendar with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
Membership exceeds 500.

Board of Directors: Barbara Bentley, President; Ken Spalding, Vice President, Howard Whitcomb, Secretary; Al Howlett, Treasurer; Chip Ahrens, Henry Beeuwkes, Denise Clavette, Anne Huntington, Lester Kenway, Jonathan Milne, Jym St. Pierre, Ralph Pope, Rex Turner, Milt Wright, Chaitanya York.

2010

The tenth Annual Meeting is held in Augusta featuring keynote speaker Kimberley Beal talking about her research on climate change, for which she earned an award from the Waterman Fund.
Friends doubles the number of four-person chainsaw crews sent to clear blowdowns from trails early in the season.
Through an LL Bean grant, Friends funds a BSP Volunteer Coordinator position filled by Laurie and Doug Rich.
Through the same grant, Friends produces a new, colorful membership brochure.
Friends receives an 80/20 matching federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant to support a $43,000 trail restoration and reconstruction project in the Park by the Maine Conservation Corps.
An anonymous donor enables Friends to make an unrestricted gift to the Park that facilitates its acquisition of the rights to Katahdin: A Guide to Baxter State Park and Katahdin, also known as "The Clark Guide”.
A delegation from Friends attends the annual meetings of Friends of Mount Carleton Provincial Park in New Brunswick, and the International Appalachian Trail at Shin Pond.
The 2nd annual Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program, expanded to 8 nights, is held in August. The program is funded for a second year by the Quimby Family Foundation.
Friends, in collaboration with BSP, publishes the 2011 Baxter State Park Calendar with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
Arcadia Publishing contracts with John Neff and Howard Whitcomb to write a volume for their history series entitled Baxter State Park and Katahdin.

Board of Directors: Barbara Bentley, President; Howard Whitcomb, Vice President; Denise Clavette, Secretary; Al Howlett, Treasurer; Henry Beeuwkes, Donna Betts, Lindsay Burgoine, Anne Huntington, Charlie Jacobi, Jym St. Pierre, Ralph Pope, Sally Daggett, Mike Stillman, Milt Wright, Chaitanya York.

2011

The eleventh Annual FBSP Meeting is held at Viles Arboretum in Augusta on April 30th, featuring a State of the Park address by BSP Director Jensen Bissell, and a keynote presentation by State Historian Earl G. Shettleworth Jr.
Friends opposes a bill submitted to the Maine State Legislature entiltled “An Act to Restore Hunting Rights to the Katahdin Lake Region” (LD 55). Friends adopted a “Resolution of Opposition” which was sent to all Maine State legislators, submitted letters of opposition to the press, activated the membership to write letters and attended the hearing to testify against the bill. The bill was withdrawn on the day of the hearing.
Thanks to a grant from the RTP (Recreational Trails Program) Friends funds 9 weeks of work by the Maine Conservation Corp (MCC) to maintain and improve trail systems within the Park, under the direct supervision of Park staff.
Friends secures funding from LL Bean to create “Naturalist Adventure Packs” to lend to families with children visiting the Park. Each pack is filled with activities, wildlife identification tools, and other materials to inspire young Park visitors. These packs are made available at the ranger stations and Park HQ.
Friends drafts a letter in support of a feasibility study for a new National Park on lands owned by Roxanne Quimby located east of Baxter State Park is drafted by Friends and is sent to all four of Maine’s Congressional Delegation. Members of the board attend presentations by US Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar and National Park director Jonathan Jarvis in Millinocket and Medway with Roxanne Quimby.
This year’s “Walks in the Park” include a geology tour by Robert Johnston at South Branch Pond, a three day excursion to Chimney Pond, and a tour of the Scientific Forest Management Area with BSP Resource Manager Rick Morrill.
Friends secures funding from the Davis Conservation Foundation to purchase GPS equipment and hire two interns to conduct a Trail Inventory in the Park under direct supervision of Park staff.
The third season of the Maine Youth Wilderness Program is organized by Friends. This programs sends ten Maine high school students to Baxter State Park on a nine days excursion with guides and specialists from various fields including geology, art, journalism, biology, Native American culture and more. This program is offered at no cost to the participants. Friends secures funding from the Maine Community Foundation and the Quimby family Foundation to fully fund this program for another 4 years.
Friends reviewed the preliminary draft of the BSP Management Plan and sent comments to Park Director Jensen Bissell.
In collaboration with BSP, Friends published the 2012 Baxter State Park Calendar with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
Know Before You Go brochures, Wildnotes, and other material were distributed to all seven Maine Tourism locations by Friends.
Friends funds the stipend for BSP Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Rich who organizes over a dozen volunteer activities and trainings during the season.

Board of Directors: Barbara Bentley, President; Chaitanya York,Vice President; Al Howlett, Treasurer; Denise Clavette, Secretary; Henry Beeuwkes, Lindsey Bourgione, Sally Dagget, Bruce Hancock, Anne Huntington, Charlie Jacobi, Bob Johnston, Dick Klain, Ralph Pope, Jym St. Pierre, Mike Stillman, Howard Whitcomb, Milt Wright.

2012

The twelfth Annual FBSP Meeting is held at Viles Arboretum in Augusta on April 21st. Speakers include BSP Ranger Rick Morrill, botanist Glen Mittelhauser, John Neff, and Howard Whitcomb.
Friends launches fundraising and outreach efforts for the Plants of Baxter State Park Project. This five-year project, to be led by Glen Mittlehauser of the Maine Natural History Observatory, will include an complete 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 and a plant database for use by Park staff.
In collaboration with BSP, Friends publishes the 2013 Baxter State Park calendar with photographs provided by Friends members and Park staff.
This year’s “Walks in the Park” include a “Warm Winter Weekend” at Twin Pines on Millinocket Lake in March, three nights at Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps in June, a “Women on High” vintage (1920s) hike up the Abol Trail in June, three nights at Kidney Pond in August, and three nights at Russell Pond in September.
Friends organizes “Governor Baxter Day” in Portland held on August 22 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Percival Baxter’s Wilderness Legacy. This full day includes activities at multiple venues featuring history, art, excursions to Macworth Island, Baxter Woods, Evergreen Cemetary and the Sundial Park on Baxter Boulevard. Over five dozen people attend along with Baxter family members and Teddy Roosevelt (Joe Weigand).
In partnership with the Maine Association of Search and Rescue, Friends donates a titanium rescue litter to Baxter State Park.
The fourth season of the Maine Youth Wilderness Program is organized by Friends. This programs sends ten Maine high school students to Baxter State Park on a nine days excursion with guides and specialists from various fields including geology, art, journalism, biology, Native American culture and more. This program is offered at no cost to the participants.
Know Before You Go brochures, Wildnotes, and other material were distributed to all seven Maine Tourism locations by Friends.
Friends funds three “Leave No Trace” scholarships to educators and people who work in the Park.
The stipend for BSP Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Rich who organizes over a dozen volunteer activities and trainings through out the season is funded by Friends.
The “Blazing a New Trail” campaign is launched to fund a Strategic Plan, a leadership succession plan, and begin the search for an Executive Director.

Board of Directors: Charlie Jacobi, President; Chaitanya York, Vice President; Dick Klain, Secretary; Al Howlett, Treasurer; Henry Beeuwkes; Lindsey Bourgione, Bruce Hancock, Anne Huntington, Bob Johnston, John Loyd, Jamie Renaud, Jym St. Pierre, Mike Stillman, Milt Wright.

2013

The 13th Annual Meeting is held at Viles Arboretum in Augusta on April 27. The meeting features a State of the Park address by BSP Director Jensen Bissell, and a presentation by author David Little on his latest book, Art of Katahdin. Dan O’Leary of Elliotsville Plantation Inc. reports on the proposed National Park; Nancy Olmstead presents her research on natural community mapping in T5R9; and Glen Mittelhauser gives an overview of the Plants of Baxter State Park Project.
Aaron Megquier joined Friends on May 1 as the organization’s first Executive Director.
In collaboration with BSP, Friends publishes the 2013 Baxter State Park Calendar with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
This year’s “Walks in the Park” include a “Warm Winter Weekend” at Twin Pines on Millinocket Lake in March, an excursion to Martin Pond an South Katahdin Lake in June, Chimney Pond in August, and Daicey Pond in September.
Friends hosts “Governor Baxter Day – Bangor to Katahdin” in Bangor on July 24th to celebrate the city’s role as a gateway to the Katahdin Region. This includes hikes, guided tours, presentations on history, art, and literature, a plein air painting event, an art auction, music, and refreshments.
Friends offers the fifth annual Maine Youth Wilderness Program for ten Maine high school students at no cost to participants.
Friends distributes Know Before You Go brochures, Wildnotes, and other outreach materials at all seven official State of Maine Visitor Centers through membership in the Maine Tourism Association.
Friends publishes the 2014 Baxter State Park Calendar in collaboration with BSP, with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
Friends funds the stipend for BSP Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Rich
Friends provides six scholarships to advanced search and rescue training for members of Maine’s volunteer rescue teams who respond to incidents in Baxter State Park.
Friends members participate in field studies for the Plants of Baxter State Park Project.
Friends secures a Recreational Trails Program grant to fund ten weeks of Maine Conservation Corps work on the OJI Trail in Baxter State Park.

Board of Directors: Charlie Jacobi, President; Dick Klain, Vice President; Gary Friedmann, Treasurer; Milt Wright, Secretary; Jim Andrews, Henry Beeuwkes, Alec Giffen, Jill Ippoliti, Bob Johnston, Jim Mroch, Jamie Renaud, Jym St. Pierre, Karin Tilberg.

2014

Friends holds its 14th Annual Meeting at Viles Arboretum on April 12, featuring Park Director Jensen Bissell’s “State of the Park” address, Park Naturalist Jean Hoekwater discussing the history of scientific research in the Park, and Nate Skvorak, a 2013 participant in the Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program, speaking about his experience in the program.
Friends offers the sixth annual Maine Youth Wilderness Program for ten Maine high school students at no cost to participants.
Friends distributes Know Before You Go brochures, Wildnotes, and other outreach materials at all seven official State of Maine Visitor Centers through membership in the Maine Tourism Association.
Friends publishes the 2015 Baxter State Park Calendar in collaboration with BSP, with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
This year’s Walks in the Park include Warm Winter Weekend at Twin Pines on Millinocket Lake, a hike to South Turner, a field day with botanist Glen Mittelhauser, a hike of the new OJI trail, two nights at Chimney Pond, two nights at South Branch Pond, and a tour of the SFMA with Rick Morrill.
Friends hires Alison Violette as its Volunteer Coordinator. Alison works with BSP staff to build the Park’s volunteer program and recruit volunteers for 17 volunteer and training events.
Friends offers a speaker series on Wilderness and Nature-based Tourism in Millinocket with support from the National Environmental Education Foundation. Speakers include photographer Scot Miller, Maine Guide Alexander Conover Bennett, business owner Matt Polstein, recreational expert Steve Spencer, fisheries biologist Forrest Bonney, and Bill Murphy from Ireland’s Wild Nephin wilderness area.
With a $34,000 grant from the Recreational Trails Program, Friends funds the Marston-North Brother trail relocation project.
Friends moves into an office space in downtown Belfast. This facilitates meetings, provides storage space, and offers a productive work environment for staff and volunteers.
Friends monitors the status of the proposed National Park located on lands east of the Park owned by Elliotsville Plantation Inc. Board members attend informational meetings and send letters to the Maine Congressional delegation detailing the Friends position on the issue.

Board of Directors: Charlie Jacobi, President; Dick Klain, Vice President; Milt Wright, Secretary; Gary Friedmann, Treasurer; Jim Andrews, Henry Beeuwkes, Kelli Corrigan, Alec Giffen, Jill Ippoliti, Bob Johnston, Paul Labbe, Jim Mroch, Jamie Renaud, Jym St. Pierre, Karin Tilberg.

2015

Friends holds its 15th Annual Meeting at Viles Arboretum on April 11, featuring Park Director Jensen Bissell’s “State of the Park” address, and a sneak preview of the Plants of Baxter State Park field guide from Glen Mittelhauser.
Friends raises $11,300 in an online crowdfunding campaign to support publication of the Plants of Baxter State Park field guide.
Friends offers the seventh annual Maine Youth Wilderness Program for ten Maine high school students at no cost to participants. The program has a record number of applicants.
Friends distributes Know Before You Go brochures, Wildnotes, and other outreach materials at all seven official State of Maine Visitor Centers through membership in the Maine Tourism Association.
This year’s Walks in the Park include a Warm Winter Weekend at Twin Pine Camps on Millinocket Lake, a hike on North Brother in July, a weekend at South Branch Pond in July, a hike to Doubletop in August, and a weekend at Kidney Pond in August.
Friends secures $52,000 in funding from the Eaton Peabody Foundation, LL Bean, Davis Conservation Foundation, and the Recreational Trails Program to help relocate the Abol Trail after landslide caused its closure in 2014. This represents over half the total cost of the project.
Friends joins 1% for the Planet, a global organization that facilitates donations from businesses who contribute 1% of their profits to member organizations.
Friends begins to work with Baxter State Park on issues related to Appalachian thru-hikers. In June, Friends makes plans to convene a task force of stakeholders to find constructive solutions. This group meets in late July, after an incident on Katahdin that drew international media attention. Representatives from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Baxter State Park, and local businesses participate in the meeting and form a task force that continues to meet monthly throughout 2015.
Friends publishes an article in AT Journeys magazine about finishing respectfully on Katahdin.
Friends publishes the 2016 Baxter State Park Calendar in collaboration with BSP, with photographs provided exclusively by Friends’ members and Park staff.
Friends rehires Alison Violette as its Volunteer Coordinator for the 2015 season. Alison continues to work with BSP staff to build the Park’s volunteer program and recruits volunteers for 16 volunteer and training events.
Friends continues to monitor the status of lands owned by Elliotsville Plantation, Inc.
In partnership with BSP and the Waterman Fund, Friends co-hosts the Northeast Alpine Stewardship Gathering at Twin Pines in Millinocket in November.

Board of Directors: Dick Klain, President; Jill Ippoliti, Vice President; Gary Friedmann, Treasurer; Jym St. Pierre, Secretary; Jim Andrews, Ellen Baum, Henry Beeuwkes, Jerry Bley, Alec Giffen, Bob Johnston, Jim Mroch, Jamie Renaud, Karin Tilberg, Josie Quintrell, Andy Walsh.