North Woods land sale troubles locals Fear is 70,000-acre deal will lead to park

SHIN POND – More than 75 residents of Maine’s North Woods gathered at a local business Thursday morning to discuss J.D. Irving Ltd.’s pending sale of more than 70,000 acres of their back yard.

Some were angry that the state had not purchased the land for public use. Others were angry that the state had tried to buy land. But all feared that without organized opposition among northern Maine residents, this and other land sales will result in a Maine Woods National Park.

The Irving land being sold is spread across four northern Penobscot County townships – T2R8, T3R8, T4R8 and T5R8 – and butts up against the eastern border of Baxter State Park. The East Branch of the Penobscot River flows through the two northern townships, while Katahdin Lake, with its famed views of Baxter State Park, is located in the southern part of the parcel.

The property also includes a portion of the ITS snowmobile trail network and wildlife habitat that has traditionally been used by dozens of local hunting, fishing and recreation guide businesses.

Chuck Gadzik, Irving’s Maine-based forester, confirmed Wednesday that all 70,000-plus acres were put on the market in December. The lands were placed under contract about three weeks ago, and ownership will be transferred by the end of the year, he said.

Irving bought the land when it acquired 1 million acres and the Pinkham Lumber Co. in Nashville Plantation from Bowater Inc. in 1999. Irving had always intended to sell off these parcels because of their distance from Irving’s processing facilities, a problem that is compounded by a lack of wood roads in some areas, Gadzik said.

A number of parties, including the state, expressed interest in the properties, he said.

Representatives of the Department of Conservation met with Irving officials throughout the spring and made an offer for the full parcel as well as 42,000 additional Irving acres that remain for sale near the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Ralph Knoll of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands said Wednesday.

“There are some gems within the properties,” he said.

As required by state law, the offer was based on an assessment of the land’s value. Knoll would not reveal how much the state offered; however, records indicate that Irving paid about $200 per acre for the property four years ago, and that the company has recently sold some land in the area for twice that.

Irving rejected the state’s bid before accepting another offer or offers. Gadzik would not reveal who or how many buyers were involved, as the terms of the sale prevent the company from speaking before the deal is completed, he said.

The diverse property could be attractive to timber interests and to vacation home developers.

However, local people’s biggest fear is a rumor that Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt’s Bees and a proponent of a Maine Woods National Park has purchased the northerly portion of the Irving land. RESTORE: The North Woods, the organization that is promoting the national park, includes the property within its proposed park boundary.

Patten-area residents also cited reports that two of the state’s well-known forest-land owners, Herb Haynes of Winn and William Gardner of Millinocket, are buying the southerly Irving land. While neither will confirm the purchases, Haynes pointedly told local people he is not the buyer of the most northerly township, according to some in attendance at Thursday’s meeting in Shin Pond.

None of the three suspected buyers could be reached for comment Wednesday or Thursday.

Dave Soucy, just nine days into his job as director of the state Bureau of Public Lands, represented the Department of Conservation at Thursday’s meeting, and assured residents the state will contact the land’s new owner or owners and attempt to negotiate recreational access easements.

“We’re committed to keeping the lines of communication open, and if for some reason there isn’t a closing, we’ll be right back in there,” he said.

Soucy defended the state’s actions in the face of substantial criticism. He also recommended that frustrated residents keep an open mind about the state’s wide range of land trusts and other nonprofit groups.

“It’s a big state and a big woods, and I believe there’s room for all of us,” Soucy said. “You should be careful who you target as your enemies. They just might end up being your partners.”

After two hours of sometimes impassioned discussion, the groups decided to organize into a force that can work together to protect the rural communities’ property tax base and the traditional recreational uses of the forest.

“We’ve got to get involved, and do it now, or the train is going to leave us,” said Albert Ellis of Shin Pond.