North Maine Woods National Park anyone?

….and National Recreational Area.

Background:  

More than a decade ago, Roxanne Quimby tried to create a National Park by giving her land to the National Park system.  There were a series of town meetings in which she presented her plan.  Unfortunately, she deeply offended the northern Mainers, resulting in the park idea losing congressional support.  Quimby's son is a hunter and fisherman and lives up there around these folks.  He is meeting with them and gradually winning most of them over. 
  
Excerpts from below link (2013):

"I absolutely think he (Quimby's son) has had to work 10 times as hard (because of her),"  Libby said.  "It wouldn't have been so hard for him if she had just kept her mouth shut."

"St. Clair said he is moving fast to create a sensible plan with broad appeal, but he recognizes that much work needs to be done locally before pursuing the congressional support for a new park.  The Maine delegation has not supported Quimby's plan - largely because of fierce local opposition."

"While many seem to regard Quimby as a pariah, St. Clair, a tall, bearded Seth Wescott-look-alike, is winning favor among the people of the Katahdin (kuh-Tardn') area and beginning to gain their trust.  He did it, locals say….by giving back to them, and keeping his word."


http://www.pressherald.com/2013/09/15/r ... 013-09-15/

Town of Medway rejects proposal (2015) 


http://bangordailynews.com/2015/06/23/o ... de-margin/

Looks like the towns are rejecting it but the debates are very heated.  So, there are many who want it now.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la ... ional+park

I hope you are ready for the 5 million visitors in a 6 week window in the summer...cotton candy and moose dolls in every storefront.

lol….actually, those people up there are always looking for ways to make ends meet. They will welcome that….in the beginning anyway.

You are right. It is surely going to change things in northern Maine.

A National Recreation Area may be a compromise...they don't tend to attract the hordes and some hunting could be allowed but there would an over writing goal that can preserve the character for future generations. Our National Parks in the beginning were much like National Recreation areas are now. We are used to Wilderness Areas in the West and maybe the core area could be set aside as wild.

This new park will not attract 5 million people. Baxter State Park which the new national park borders, only attracts
60,000 people in the summer months.. BSP has way more to see then the New park does..It also will not create the
proposed jobs they promise..The new park entails alot of space with attractions being far from each other..The East Branch Penobscot River is really its biggest attraction...Also more tourists, do bring in more spent dollars to
only one or two towns near the park's location.. and also will increase taxes for those communities..Quimby promises
allowed hunting and snowmobiling(1 of top money makers)in some areas of the new park, but she has lied before to the people of Maine.. She could say no to these after the park is voted in..I do love BSP and Maine's National Park of Acadia, and am glad that land has been given to us. I just feel for those Maine residents of the bordering towns who have lost many jobs in the logging industry, and which I do not condone is their logging practices at all. They destroy great forests in minimal amounts of time.., and the amount of logging roads put in is astronomical. I enjoy
roaming natural mature forests which have been destroyed and will never be the same.. So, I am torn between the 2.

As a hunter, I am against Quimby for closing accessed areas. As a photographer and hiker I love that logging has stopped, even though I will never see the forest again, like I once did..