In his 1968 book, “The Allagash,” Lew Dietz told many wonderful stories about the past of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. But in the final chapter of the book, he wrote about his grave concern for the future of the AWW:

“A living wilderness should … be used so long as use involves enjoyment rather than mindless consumption. …

“As there are places on earth for broad public use, there should be places on earth for the appreciators who accept that rewards must be earned and that without effort there can be no true appreciation. …

“Inevitably, there will be pressures upon the Allagash country from those who wish to exploit it, as well as from those who wish, in the name of public recreation, to sacrifice its special qualities by making it a playground rather than a sanctuary. …

“Clearly, man … has wandered too far from his biological roots. In the mindless destruction of the last remnants of his wilderness domain, he is most surely shutting the doors on the long road back. It is in this context that the Allagash stands as a challenge and a test.”

Please support the lawsuit to stop access at John’s Bridge and help put the wild back into the Allagash Wilderness Waterway before it’s too late.

Paul Shanley

Eddington