Quimby in Possible Deal to Give Katahdin Lake to BSP

[Papa Bear]

This article appeared on America's Roof last week and I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else nor have I see any followup:

The Press Herald reports that the Trust for Public Land and land preservationist Roxanne Quimby are working on a land swap to 18,000 acres including Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park. Katahdin Lake was on the original 1921 map Gov. Percival Baxter drew up however it has remained in private hands. It is accessible only by foot or by seaplane, it offers spectacular views of Mount Katahdin. The swap is with logging contractor William Gardner. Gardner would give up 18,361 acres he owns next to Baxter State Park, including the Wassataquoik Stream valley. In return, he would get $3 million and about 14,400 acres of Township 5 Range 8, the township that Quimby and her Elliotsville Plantation Inc. bought for $12 million two years ago.

Here is the link: America's Roof link

Anyone know anything about this? I'm not sure what paper the "Press Herald" is so I havn't found the original article.

Sounds good. I'd like to know more.

Pb

 

[teejay]

Portland

Press Herald. I went to the newspaper website but couldn't find the article. I couldn't find a search function, either.

teejay

 

[spencer]

nothing definite yet, but it is in the negotiation stages as I understand it.

the Press Herald is from Portland.

A potential problem with it is that the parcel in question could provide relatively close access to the Park. Currently, almost nobody gets into the park through that lot, but with Quimby in control nobody knows. It has been pretty clear that she doesn't know what she her plans are other than to buy the land and figure out the rest later. In gerneral (for her other lands) she does not plan to improve roads, but she might consider trails, given it's proximity to the Park.

I'm sure Buzz et al. will be anxious to figure out access issues as soon as anything goes down.

spencer

 

[Papa Bear]

Spencer

Are you saying if she built a road or trail to Katahdin Lake, someone could just jog on up to East Turner and then amble over to South Turner and thus gain quick and easy access to the park?

Pb

 

[spencer]

Absolutely not! No road to E. Turner would make S. Turner easy to get to...

There is currently a trail between the park rd. and Katahdin Lake Camps. If one were able to drive to Katahdin Lake, they would then have another access point to the park.

I'm not worried about Quimby building roads, though...

spencer

 

[twigeater]

There is something in the January 9th edition. It starts out...

Preserve land now, negotiate its uses later
Published on January 9, 2005 Page: C4

© 2005- Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.
Because of an e-mail mistakenly sent to the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the public now knows about plans for a land transfer deal that might someday add Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park. Expansion of Baxter State Park and adding Katahdin Lake is welcome news to advocates of land preservation. The park is one of Maine's most precious resources, 204,733 acres of wilderness that began as a 6,000-acre gift from former Gov. Percival P. Baxter in 1931. The deal in question is

Complete Article, 391 words

I've hiked into Katahdin Lake several times, it's beautiful. Except for the horse manure on the trail.