|
|
Information Sheet
Top 10 Common Questions & Answers
In 1994, RESTORE: The North Woods proposed the idea of creating a 3.2-million-acre
Maine Woods National Park & Preserve in northern Maine. A first step
would be a feasibility study of the park idea. Dozens of businesses, nonprofit
organizations and prominent Americans have endorsed the park study concept,
and tens of thousands of citizens have signed petitions calling for a
full study of the park. Here are answers to ten common questions about
the proposed Maine Woods National Park & Preserve.
1. What makes this place so special?
The proposed Maine Woods National Park & Preserve would lie in the
heart of the greatest remaining wildland in the eastern United States.
This new park would encompass the headwaters of Maine’s major rivers,
including the Allagash, Aroostook, Kennebec, Penobscot, and St. John.
It would also protect hundreds of remote ponds and most of the shoreland
along Moosehead Lake, as well as vast expanses of forest critical for
conserving wildlife habitat and biodiversity. It would protect spectacular
recreational opportunities, including the 100 wildest miles of the Appalachian
Trail. And it would safeguard a unique cultural heritage, including Native
American routes, logging-era sites, and areas made famous by wilderness
adventurers such as Henry David Thoreau. This is a place that stands alongside
Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Everglades, Denali and other existing national
parks as one of America’s greatest natural treasures.
2. Isn’t the Maine Woods already being well cared for?
In the past, landowners took relatively good care of the forest. Today,
control of most of the region has become concentrated in the hands of
a small number of large, absentee forestry and real estate corporations
and a few family trusts. They are being driven by global pressures to
maximize short-term profits by clearcutting and over-cutting the forest,
spraying toxic pesticides, building an extensive network of logging roads,
and subdividing pristine shorelands. To cut costs,
they have sought tax breaks and eliminated thousands of woods and mill
jobs. Without protective action the Maine Woods—and a valued way
of life for Mainers—may soon be lost.
3. Why a national park?
The Maine Woods has world-class values that are facing global threats.
The State of Maine alone cannot adequately protect such a large area.
But a Maine Woods National Park & Preserve could permanently safeguard
the heart of the Maine Woods for the public benefit. The forests, watersheds,
and wildlife would be protected and past logging damage healed. Vast restored
wildlands would offer backcountry recreation. The park would create jobs
and draw new businesses. And, thanks to the widespread popularity of our
existing national parks, there is a good chance of gaining the public
support needed to create the proposed park.
4. What kinds of uses would be allowed in the park?
The proposed park would actually be a combination national park and national
preserve, guaranteeing public access for traditional recreation. The entire
area would be open to hiking, camping, canoeing, rafting, fishing and
most other recreational uses. Hunting, trapping, and snowmobiling would
continue in the preserve portion, as they do in other national preserves.
The size and location of park and preserve areas could be decided by the
public during the study process.
5. How would a national park affect the economy?
A new national park would offer many economic benefits. The park would:
(1) supplement the troubled forest products industry while leaving four-fifths
of Maine’s commercial timberland unaffected; (2) create new jobs
restoring damaged forests, rehabilitating wildlife habitat, and managing
the park; (3) draw new businesses and permanent residents seeking a healthy
natural environment; and (4) expand the tourism economy (Acadia National
Park brings over $100 million per year to the surrounding region). It
could also increase the tax base, since federal payments are typically
higher than the current property tax payments by landowners in the Maine
Woods. The proposed park feasibility study would address these critical
issues.
6. Would private or state lands be taken to create the new park?
No! Under this proposal, park land would be acquired by the public from
willing sellers at fair market value only. The focus would be on the large
timber and real estate company holdings, which have been changing ownership
frequently in recent years. Owners of smaller parcels could keep or sell
their property as they choose. Towns and year-round homes would not be
part of the park. Private camps now under lease could continue under long-term
leases or be acquired from willing sellers. Access to private inholdings
would also continue. Baxter State Park would stay under its current state
ownership and management.
7. Would crowds and over-development be a problem?
Within the proposed park, wildland values would be protected. No new commercial
development would be allowed on park land. Crowds would be minimized by
spreading visitors over an area much larger than Acadia National Park
or Baxter State Park. Outside the MWNP local communities could take advantage
of new economic opportunities generated by the park. As has been done
at existing national parks, gateway towns near the proposed park could
work together with park managers to guide growth, prevent unwise development,
and protect the local quality of life. The proposed feasibility study
would assess these important issues.
8. Who will decide whether or not to create the park? The public will
decide. The proposed study would assess the feasibility of the park idea,
consider a range of alternatives, cooperate with Maine landowners and
state officials, and ensure participation by Maine citizens. The study
would give people the information they need to make a decision and the
opportunity to choose whether or not they want a park. If the study showed
strong public support, this could lead to a new law to authorize the park.
9. Is creating a Maine Woods National Park feasible?
Early in the 20th century, protecting the White Mountains, Acadia, Great
Smoky Mountains, and Katahdin seemed politically unrealistic. Today, these
areas are magnificent public parks and reserves. The vision of a new Maine
Woods National Park could bring together the public support, political
will, and financial resources needed to make it a reality. Now is the
time to act. Vast tracts of land are on the market or likely to be available
from willing sellers in the near future. For less than the cost of one
B-2 Stealth bomber we could create a Maine Woods National Park & Preserve
for the benefit of this and future generations.
10. How can I get more information about the park proposal? Contact:
RESTORE: The North Woods, 9 Union Street, Hallowell,ME 04347,(207) 626-5635
mainewoods@restore.org
Return.to Maine Woods National Park Publications
|
|
