Complete Baxter’s vision

Recently, the Maine Department of Conservation, the Trust for Public Land and the Baxter State Park Authority announced an unprecedented deal to add 6,015 acres of prime and largely primeval real estate to Baxter State Park, including spectacular Katahdin Lake. This is fantastic news for Baxter Park fans and outdoor recreation lovers across the state.

When you first emerge above the treeline on Katahdin (and stop to catch your breath), you’ll inevitably turn around and look east. Gazing past the smaller ponds and rolling terrain, your eye immediately zeroes in on Katahdin Lake as the primary landscape feature, glistening in the distance.

The view from Katahdin Lake toward the mountain is equally compelling, though relatively few visitors have seen it. One hundred fifty years ago, the well-known artist Frederic Church painted that view. Many other artists followed, with good reason. Under this proposed agreement both views will be preserved.

It is not hard to justify adding the Katahdin Lake Parcel to the park. As a state senator, Percival Baxter identified these lands in maps and speeches as part of his vision for a wilderness state park and wildlife sanctuary as early as 1921. Unfortunately, their acquisition eluded him over the 32 years he toiled to piece together the park. Let’s make history, make history come alive, and finish the job for him.

Officials estimate there are more than 1,000 acres of uncut forest on these lands. Forests of big trees are scarce in Maine. Where there are big trees, there is also a suite of uncommon flora and fauna from pine martens to orchids, all worthy of protection. All of this, plus 3.76 miles of undeveloped shoreline and great fishing too: the Katahdin Lake parcel is a gem.

One of the beauties of Katahdin Lake is that it has, amazingly, remained relatively remote; there is no road access. As part of the park’s wilderness, this would not change. You can access millions of acres in Maine via automobiles, snowmobiles, ATVs, aircraft and motor boats.

That’s generally OK. But Baxter State Park is one of the few recreation areas where you can escape the noise, smell and disturbance of motors for a little peace and quiet, solitude and contemplation. Katahdin Lake would be a small, but priceless, wilderness addition to the park, another haven from the frenetic pace of our modern, mechanized society.

And finally, the Gardner family (current landowners) keeps their forest workers employed and their families secure. That’s because they will receive for this deal forest land, not cash. More than 7,000 acres of unconsolidated public lots will be bought by the Trust for Public Land.

The trust has already purchased other private lands. All of these lands will be swapped with the Gardners for the Katahdin Lake Parcel. These new Gardner acquisitions will continue to supply fiber to the mills in the Penobscot Valley and be open, as the Gardners have always done with their lands, to traditional uses such as hunting. The state will use the funds from the sale of the public lots to acquire new lands (in the same counties as those sold) to benefit sportsmen. This deal is a win-win-win proposition.

Thanks are due to the Gardners for their willingness to deal, and to state officials and the trust for public land for their persistence in bringing us to the launch of the Campaign for Katahdin Lake. Now it’s up to us.

What can we do to make this happen? Write or call your state representative and tell them you support this deal to add the Katahdin Lake Parcel to Baxter Park as wilderness and wildlife sanctuary. Send a copy of your letter to Commissioner Patrick McGowan at the Department of Conservation, State House Station 22, Augusta 04333-0022. And donate all you can to the Campaign for Katahdin Lake to help seal the deal. We’ve got a mountain to climb together and it’s $14 million high. Getting to the top is not optional.

Gov. Baxter was a visionary. He worked a lifetime to acquire the lands around Katahdin for the people of Maine, and left us an incredible 204,000-acre legacy. His original dream included Katahdin Lake as a wilderness and wildlife sanctuary. We now have the opportunity to honor his vision. We may never get this chance again.

Let’s complete Percy’s park. It’s the natural choice.

Charlie Jacobi is president of Friends of Baxter State Park.