Pity Ron Lovaglio, the commissioner of the Department of Conservation. The first management plan in the history of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway; seven rewrites of the plan over three years; 130 separate strategies in nine areas and all anyone wants to know is whether John’s Bridge is going to officially provide access to the waterway, be officially closed or something in between.

He chose officially open, not the best choice, but his conclusion was reasonable. More importantly, the fact that Maine finally has a plan for a waterway, established in 1966, is an achievement in itself. No one could agree with all of the strategies the department will use on the waterway between now and 2010, when the plan is reviewed, but now the department offers a blueprint for the waterway, no small matter.

The overall theme of the management plan is to encourage people to enjoy the benefits of nature without the usual impediments of civilization. The plan expands the prohibition against jet skis, air boats, party boats, etc. to Chamberlain and Telos lakes; it limits the use of radios and CD and tape players; it prohibits the use of automobiles and trucks on frozen lakes. No motors of any kind may be used on Allagash Lake and Stream.

On the land nearby, the department is to work with landowners to relocate roads or close logging road spurs to enhance the natural appearance of the waterway. The number of crossings on the 92-mile river system is limited to six. And, to address a regular complaint, the department will work with landowners to try to limit what is referred to as the visual impacts of timber harvesting — the beauty-strip effect — south of Churchill Dam.

John’s Bridge, which crosses the waterway in the southern section between Churchill and Eagle lakes, remains a focus of controversy because its pits those who favor recreation against those who favor wilderness, a drama that has played out many times before in Maine. The bridge had been closed to canoe put-ins but used anyway for years. Maintaining the status quo, for safety reasons if nothing else, was the choice Mr. Lovaglio could not make. The dirt road and narrow bridge, combined with logging trucks in a hurry, was no place for families to park their vehicles and unload their gear, as was happening. His decision moves the put-in area 500 feet from the bridge and builds a place for the vehicles off the road.

Does this change the character of that section of the river? Almost certainly, and more wild for a wilderness area usually is better than less wild. But adding John’s Bridge to the eight other access points along the river is not going to turn the area into Lake Winnipesaukee. And even if the number of people using the waterway rises slightly with its official opening, the number of people using the watercourse has leveled off or even declined a bit so the net effect would be small.

There is also a political reason for favoring access. The Legislature will be debating land-acquistion bonds this winter, much-needed funding to maintain public access to undeveloped areas. The state would have a much harder time arguing for the bond money if at the same time it was limiting access to public land in the Allagash. Closing John’s Bridge could have led to closing the Land for Maine’s Future Board — a poor trade.

The management plan tries to match the original intentions of the wilderness area to the needs of the state today. Its success or failure should be judged on issues far broader than simply whether one access point is opened or closed. On the whole, the management plan should leave the waterway in better shape than it was when this process began.