Peter Hilton misses the mark in his rebuttal commentary titled, “Allagash waterway is not a commodity” (BDN, Dec. 29). He theorizes that the Allagash stopped being a wilderness in 1840 because of a series of dams. Then he states that the St. John is a true wilderness challenge because it is wilder and more remote. Finally, he commends the state for allegedly removing an (illegal) access point.

In 1970 the Allagash Wilderness Waterway was afforded additional protection by being included into the National Wild and Scenic River system. With this inclusion, the act recognized the historic significance of the log crib dams located on the Allagash and thus they were allowed as part of the wilderness experience.

If the St. John is remote, as Hilton suggests, might that be because of access? Studies have demonstrated that motorized access creates a direct assault on remoteness. So if the Allagash is to be remote, then access has to be limited and controlled.

The Allagash is still viewed by thousands of people as Maine’s last natural frontier. Hilton is right that it is an existing entity with qualities that are alive and not something created by marks on a paper. But we all plan for the future by putting marks on a paper. Allagash protection was planned for and supported by the majority of Maine citizens. It is time to insist that the state and federal regulations, which provided for long term protection of the natural Allagash, are followed.

In his role as a member of the Allagash advisory committee, I hope Hilton becomes familiar with the laws that govern the Allagash and demand that the Bureau of Parks and Lands respects its obligations in adhering to those laws.

Susan Caverly

Millinocket