Real value of Katahdin Lake purchase

In his op-ed “Katahdin Lake: At What Cost?” (BDN, Oct. 21-22), Robert S. Seymour laments the loss of public lots as part of the Katahdin Lake land swap, arguing that the acquisition of Katahdin Lake should have been a private deal between the Trust for Public land and W.T. Gardner & Sons. But this outcome was not possible. Without the trade of public lots, the landowners stated repeatedly they would not Katahdin Lake.

Professor Seymour contends that the Department of Conservation should have offered long-term timber contracts to the Gardners, rather than selling public lots. That was the initial approach in negotiations – an approach flatly rejected by the landowner.

Seymour makes a number of arguments – a point by point response follows:

? The acquisition will protect – not give away – thousands of acres of critical deer habitat. The deer wintering yards on the public lots to be traded will, as required by the legislation, be maintained by the new owners.

? The Katahdin Lake lands have truly outstanding values, eclipsing those of the unconsolidated public lots to be sold. While the lands included within the public lots are well-stocked with timber and have been managed well,

they are simply not comparable to the values of the lands at Katahdin Lake:

. According to the Maine Natural Areas Program, Katahdin Lake is home to the largest unprotected area of virgin and late-successional forest in Maine. These forests are likely to have extraordinary scientific value in the future as benchmarks in a changing world.

. Katahdin Lake is recognized as one of the most significant lakes in Maine – one of only 18 lakes in the Unorganized Territory that is rated as resource class 1A (the highest class), in the top 1 percent of all lakes in the Unorganized Territory

. Katahdin Lake has outstanding value as a scenic vista – America’s foremost landscape artists painted on the shores of the lake

. Katahdin Lake’s historical value is also extraordinary:

. It was visited by Teddy Roosevelt

. It is the site of a historic sporting camp constructed in the 19th century

. Members of Maine’s conservation community have identified the Katahdin Lake area as a high priority conservation area for years.

. Seymour asks that the parties reconsider this deal, as it is precedent-setting. But, this is not the first time that public lots have been traded for other lands with higher public value. Public land consolidation has been under way since the 1970s. There are more than one million acres of publicly owned land in Maine. The public lots involved in the Katahdin Lake project represent less than eight-tenths of 1 percent of those acres. Many of Maine’s highly valued consolidated public reserve lots – such as the Deboullie, Donnell Pond, Holeb and Bigelow units – were acquired in the same way as Katahdin Lake: by trading scattered lots for consolidated units of higher public value.

. The Katahdin Lake proposal was one of the most thoroughly explored and debated land deals in the history of the Maine Legislature. The comparative values of the parcels involved were carefully considered in the full light of day. Seymour’s comments were considered at that time. With 90 percent voting in favor, the Legislature passed LD 2015.

Maine’s citizens also believe in the Katahdin Lake project. In a recent poll, response was overwhelmingly favorable toward the project. And, far from being at a virtual standstill, fundraising has reached the $10.4 million mark. In Maine’s history of conservation projects, this is one of the greatest short-term fundraising efforts ever seen

Importantly, the proceeds from the sale of the public lots ($3 million) will be used to purchase additional public lands – lands with high values for forestry, recreation and wildlife habitat. These new public lands will be managed in the same way as the lots whose loss Seymour laments, and in time will share the values held by those lots today.

Gov. Baxter did – as Seymour argues – value well-managed forests, as evidenced by his establishment of the Scientific Forest Management Area. But, he included Katahdin Lake in his original plan for the park. Baxter’s legacy is not dishonored by this acquisition, rather it is enhanced. A hundred years from now, few are likely to remember the controversy over acquiring Katahdin Lake. Everyone who visits Baxter State Park will appreciate the beauty of the lake and its wild forests, and the foresight that preserved this jewel in the crown of Maine.

David Soucy is director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands. R. Alec Giffen is director of the Maine Forest Service.