Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 24 : Spring 2015 | Page 51

N at i o n a l
Pa r k

&

N at i o n a l
R e c r e at i o n
Area
By Lucas St. Clair
An idea has been gaining support in
northern Maine that could revitalize
the region, creating new jobs and new
opportunity.
Through an open and ongoing
conversation, the creation of a new
national park and national recreation
area in the Katahdin region is gaining
traction.
While a national park in the region has
been discussed for a number of years, the
idea has changed dramatically as people
in the region have weighed in with their
suggestions and concerns.
After consulting with hundreds – if not
thousands – of stakeholders, the current
thinking would be to create a 75,000-acre
national park with an adjacent 75,000acre national recreation area.
The plan would combine the best of
both worlds: the world-class brand of
the national park with a recreation area
that would permanently protect critical
snowmobile trails and hunting in the
area.
The limited size of the proposal would
also ensure that working forests could
successfully co-exist and thrive with a
national park and recreation area.
SPRING 2015

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