PORTLAND – The Maine Island Trail Association has appointed Doug Welch executive director, succeeding Karen Stimpson, who will focus her efforts on fundraising and public relations.

Welch, whose family lives in Portland, brings more than 15 years of nonprofit management experience to MITA, including serving as vice president of Youth Alternatives in Portland and of the Island Alliance – a nonprofit that supports the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

“This is a wonderful time to join the MITA team,” Welch said. “MITA has a proven record of expanding access to coastal Trail sites just at the time that the increased value of coastal properties makes it more difficult for Maine to expand state parks on the coast. If we don’t want Maine to become like Massachusetts, where public access to the coast is more limited, organizations like MITA must partner with local land trusts and other private parties to preserve access for Mainers.”

“Karen has done a wonderful job – she brought MITA from a small startup in 1988 to a major player in the state’s effort to preserve coastal access for Mainers and to balance the use of fragile natural resources with care for them,” Welch said. “MITA today is one of the best bargains in Maine … For only $45 a year you can access some of the most beautiful islands in the world, every day of the summer, and you never have to mow the lawn, fix the screen door or pay a tax bill. And if you want to help clean up an island, we’ll take you there in one of our boats and give you, usually, a memorable day’s outing and a satisfying contribution to keeping Maine beautiful.”

MITA maintains over 120 islands and some 40 coastal recreational sites from Kennebunkport to the Canadian Maritimes, many of which are owned by the state and are open to the public.

The remainder are owned by local land trusts, other nonprofits, private individuals and families, but are open to MITA members.

Dues and donations are used almost entirely for stewardship of the trail sites, and many MITA members also volunteer generously of their time to care for all the islands.

More information about MITA, including how to join and how to volunteer, is available at www.mita.org or by calling 761-8225.