Appalachian Mountain Club – Maine Chapter

In April 2010, President Barack Obama kicked off the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative. This encourages people to unplug from the e-world and reconnect with the natural one. You can submit your ideas to conserve natural places, share your stories about the places you love, and find ways to enjoy the outdoors. There will be a public listening session on Thursday September 2 in Bangor where your voice is needed! FMI.

The Baxter State Park Management Plan is up for revisions, and the public’s input is being sought. You can comment on things that you like and dislike, things that need improvement, future direction of the park, or any constructive comments in general about the 200,000 acre Baxter State Park. A listening session is scheduled for Tuesday July 27 from 5:30 – 7PM at the Bangor Public Library. Let your voice be heard!

Dean Bennett, UMaine professor, life-long conservationist and author, will take us on a century’s tour of the Wild River Valley, along the Maine/New Hampshire border. This magical and magnificent valley was heavily logged in the 1890′s and suffered all manner of environmental calamity, as did the people who once inhabited the area. Professor Bennett’s presentation takes us from wilderness to destruction and back to wilderness again. This is a story full of woe, heedless exploitation, desolation, followed by gradual, miraculous healing and inspiration. If you want to be inspired by the resilience of our natural world and witness the enlightened humanity that helps to make such restoration possible, than please join us for this special event.

Sponsored by the AMC Maine chapter conservation committee. The event will be Wednesday March 31, 2010, at the Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick beginning at 7PM. Please contact Bob Goldman(207-831-5929) for more information.

Please join us on Wednesday March 24 for a presentation by Bryan Wentzell, AMC’s Maine Policy Manager, to talk about AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative and plans for 66,000 acres of conservation lands in the heart of the 100-Mile Wilderness region. AMC has permanently protected a 63-mile-long corridor of conservation land—the organization’s largest investment in its 134-year history. Bryan Wentzell will talk about balancing new backcountry recreation, timber harvesting, wilderness lodges, and traditional recreation activities, and will also touch upon the Plum Creek Timber Company’s concept plan and what it means for development and conservation in the Moosehead region. The program is free and open to the public. It will be at the Bangor Public Library, Maine. Come early for the potluck dinner at 5:30 pm followed by the presentation at 6:30 pm. Bring a potluck item to share and your own dinnerware (plate, utensils etc.). Drinks will be provided and plastic-ware will be available. Please contact John Mullens (207-361-1210) for more information, visit our calendar page, or download a flyer

Wolves are as native to Maine as Katahdin, the Kennebec, moose and lobstah. Not long ago, they lived and roamed free throughout the forests and mountains of Maine, the Northeast and much of North America. Many believe the land and nature of our region will not be healed and complete until they return once again, while others are opposed to their restoration or are not so sure. What do you think and feel about the wolf? Come join us on Thursday, February 25 as we together watch the beautifully done, science-based and enlightening one hour video “Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators” followed by a discussion and update on the wolf and its status in Maine and the Northeast.

Sponsored by the AMC Maine chapter conservation committee. The event will be Thursday February 25, 2010, at the Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick beginning at 7PM. Please contact Bob Goldman(207-831-5929) for more information.

Be sure to join the Maine Chapter for an alpine Ski Day at Mt. Abram on Sunday, February 7, 2010. Meet Leader Carolyn Welch in the Mount Abram lodge at 9:00 am and bring your AMC membership card to get a lift ticket for a $39 corporate rate.

Contact Carolyn at cwel...@gmail.com to sign up and to receive carpooling info.

The opinion piece published on the front page of the Winter 2010 issue of Wilderness Matters, written by Bob Goldman, was not necessarily the opinion or position of the Appalachian Mountain Club or the Maine Chapter. The published piece should have contained a statement clarifying this. We apologize for any confusion or concern that this caused AMC members. You can read about the AMC’s conservation strategy in the Northwoods of Maine or by contacting Bryan Wentzell, AMC’s Maine Policy Manager at 207-725-2248.

Please join us on Monday December 7 as we learn about the proposal for a Maine Woods National Park & Preserve. Ken Burns called the national parks our best idea in his recent Public Broadcasting Service TV series. Is this proposed park a good idea for Maine? Jym St. Pierre, Maine Director of RESTORE: The North Woods will be leading the presentation, which will be colorful and detailed. Light refreshments will be served. The location is the Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick beginning at 7PM. Contact Bob Goldman(207-831-5929) for more information.

Please join us on Monday November 9 for a discussion of a landmark Clean Energy bill that will soon be voted on in the United States Senate. This major bill has already passed the U.S. House. A representative from the Repower America organization will explain the details of the bill and its intended positive effects for the U.S. and for Maine, including the vital goal of halting climate change. Light refreshments will be served. The location is the South Portland Public Library at 432 Broadway beginning at 7PM. Contact Bob Goldman(207-831-5929) for more information.

The Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) is currently revising its 10-year Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). This document guides development and land use across 10 million acres of Maine’s undeveloped forests, mountains, lakes and streams in the unorganized territories. Three hearings are scheduled and YOUR voice is needed.

- Monday, September 28, 2009 in Augusta, Maine at the Senator Inn (284 Western Avenue). The hearing will be held from 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
- Tuesday, September 29, 2009 in Bangor, Maine at the Ramada Inn (357 Odlin Road). The hearing will be held from 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
- Wednesday, September 30, 2009 in Presque Isle, Maine at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center (116 Main Street). The hearing will be held from 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.

Can’t make one of the hearings? You can write a letter any time until October 21. More information on LURC and CLUP is available on their website. For questions or more information please contact AMC’s Bryan Wentzell at bwen...@outdoors.org or 207-725-2248.