MAINE PUBLIC • May 18, 2021
The Appalachian Mountain Club's Maine Woods property in the 100-Mile Wilderness between Moosehead Lake and Baxter State Park has been designated as the first International Dark Sky Park in New England. The park is expected to drive astronomy-based tourism and additional conservation in one of the darkest remaining night skies in the eastern U.S. To be certified as an International Dark Sky Park, AMC's conservation land had to have exceptional starry nights and a robust nocturnal environment. In other words, it needed to be separated from urban development and protective of animal species. These 75,000 forested acres have also been identified as climate resilient. Jenny Ward, who's worked on the project for AMC, says the Dark Sky park designation illustrates what an important resource Maine has.