In response to the recent articles concerning Sen. John Martin and Rep. Troy Jackson’s recent actions in restoring access to the Old Michaud Farm Road to the locals, perhaps the Department of Conservation should send an advance warning to those fearless adventurers before they embark on their pseudo “wilderness experience” on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. It would read like this:

WARNING: In spite of our best efforts we have not been able to fully eradicate the “pesky” locals from the waterway. We have burned or destroyed mostly everything that had any historical significance to them, we’ve denied them access to the numerous places they lived, worked and played on all their lives, we’ve made it economically impossible for them to spend any length of time on the waterway because of gate and park fees, we’ve diverted them from driving along the river by creating another road and denying them access to the Old Michaud Farm Road until they actually reach Michaud Farm, and last, but not least, we dug a ditch across the road above Michaud Farm, so that we could deny them access to Cunliffe.

Nothing has seemed to work. Some of them actually get by us and still manage to access the waterway. We suggest that you have patience with us as we continue to find new and unique ways to solve this problem. In the meantime, wear blinders.

My sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Sen. Martin and Rep. Jackson for restoring part of our heritage.

Colleen McBreairty

Allagash