CAMPAIGN for the MAINE WOODS - Appalachian Mountain Club

Appalachian Mountain Club
CAMPAIGN for the
MAINE WOODS
creating a legacy for future generations in the 100-mile wilderness region

CAMPAIGN for the MAINE WOODS
Creating a Legacy for Future Generations in the 100-Mile Wilderness Region
What makes AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative
unique is that it integrates land and habitat
protection, outdoor recreation, and
sustainable forestry.
The Appalachian Mountain Club has undertaken the most
ambitious and significant project in our 130-year history—
a bold, new vision to protect and enhance the outdoor
experiences that transform our lives called the Maine Woods
Initiative. To support this historic project, we have launched
a $45 million capital campaign. The Campaign for the
Maine Woods aims to:
• Create and connect a corridor of protected lands and
working forest totaling more than a million acres.
• Achieve permanent land protection and recreational access
for 100,000 acres within Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region.
• Create a new four-season destination for outdoor recreation.
• Provide a boost to the local economy through
nature-based tourism and sustainable forestry.
• Provide environmental education opportunities for
residents of local communities and visitors of all ages.
• Create an ecological reserve of more than 25,000 acres.
The founders of AMC left us a tremendous
legacy when their efforts resulted in the
creation of the White Mountain National
Forest in the early part of the 20 th Century.
They made a lasting difference. Today, we
have an opportunity that is similar in
scale and importance: to protect a vast and
mountainous landscape in northern Maine
through the Maine Woods Initiative.
AMC is creating a protected corridor
stretching through the 100-Mile Wilderness
from Greenville to Baxter State Park. AMC
is permanently protecting the 37,000-acre
Katahdin Iron Works tract, which we purchased
in 2003, and has entered into a Conservation
Framework agreement, potentially allowing us
to acquire the 28,000-acre Roach Pond tract
adjacent to our property to the north.
Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to explore
the land via new hiking and skiing trails
and canoe and kayak the numerous
ponds and local rivers, while staying in
a connected system of traditional Maine
sporting camps, cabins, and campsites.
Our programs are lifting the local economy
through forestry jobs and by attracting new
nature-based tourism to the region. And
finally, AMC’s environmental education
programs will help visitors and local residents
learn more about the natural world.
The challenges and work ahead are
tremendous, but so are the opportunities.
Through the Campaign for the Maine
Woods, AMC will be able to transform
this vision into a reality.
Won’t you join us in leaving a conservation and
recreation legacy for future generations?
Let me be your Maine guide. Turn
the page for more information on
the Maine Woods Initiative...
Mac Facts: AMC is building new trails in the Maine Woods project
area. The network of new and existing trails will total 150 miles.

THE CONSERVATION FRAMEWORK
In October 2006, AMC, The Nature Conservancy, the
Forest Society of Maine, and Plum Creek signed a
purchase and sale agreement that would conserve
nearly 345,000 acres around Moosehead Lake. As
part of the Conservation Framework, AMC will
purchase the 28,320-acre Roach Pond parcel. Completion
is contingent upon approval of Plum Creek’s plan by
Maine’s Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC).
The Roach Pond parcel is north of Katahdin Iron
Works and south of the state-owned Nahmakanta
Unit. It is the missing parcel needed to complete a
corridor of protected land running through the
100-Mile Wilderness.
The Maine Woods:
AMC’s Newest Destination
Hiking, paddling, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing,
wildlife viewing, and experiencing the quiet
of the wilderness are all possible in the Maine
Woods. It is a vast landscape, and to make multi-day
exploration possible, we are developing a network
of trails and adding camps and campsites that are a
day’s hike or ski apart.
AMC is preserving the Maine sporting camp
tradition through its purchase and operation of
Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness
Camps. We will re-open Chairback Mountain
Camps to the public in 2008, and we are partnering
with a fourth, privately-owned camp, West
Branch Pond Camps. These camps make our vision
of camp-to-camp skiing and hiking in a wilderness
setting a reality.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Economic development is a key aspect of
AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative. Piscataquis
County has one of the lowest per-capita incomes
and the second highest unemployment rate in
Maine. With the close involvement of local
leaders and the Governor’s office, AMC is
pursuing ways to support a strong regional
economy through sustainable timber
management, nature-based tourism, and
community partnerships.
In 1890 AMC founder Edward Pickering explored the
Maine Woods and climbed WhiteCap Mountain.

100-Mile Wilderness
The 100-Mile Wilderness that extends along
the Appalachian Trail from Monson to
Mount Katahdin is in danger. Land
is being divided, dramatically altering the
landscape. Communities are under tremendous
pressure to develop remote areas for second
homes. Once lost, this wilderness can never
be recovered.
Medawisla Wilderness Camps
A traditional sporting camp located on Second Roach
Pond, Medawisla offers fantastic four-season
recreation and abundant wildlife viewing.
Extensive trails and a network of ponds and rivers
make this an ideal getaway. Moose and more than
100 species of birds inhabit the area, and the pond
is home to landlocked salmon, lake trout,
and brook trout.
Katahdin Iron Works and Gulf Hagas
In 2003, AMC acquired 37,000 acres in
the 100-Mile Wilderness, known as the
Katahdin Iron Works parcel. Spectacularly
beautiful, the property borders Gulf Hagas, a
dramatic ravine called the “Grand Canyon”
of Maine, and includes the West Branch of
the Pleasant River, 25 ponds, and 1,300
acres of wetlands and bogs.
Trails
AMC trail crews have been working hard in the
project area to create a network of 150 miles
of trail for hikers and skiers. Our trail building
and maintenance program is creating new
opportunities for outdoor recreation in the
100-Mile Wilderness region by providing access
to its woods, waters, and peaks by connecting
existing trails with new trails.
10,000-Acre Wilderness Preserve
AMC created a permanent 10,000-acre
ecological reserve to protect more than 30
natural vegetation communities, 300 species
of plants, and 100 species of birds that have
been identified in an ecological survey.
By establishing an ecological monitoring
system, AMC will be able to assess changes
in the forest and measure progress toward our
goal of restoring a mature forest and habitat. If
AMC is able to acquire the Roach Ponds tract, we
will expand the preserve to 25,000 acres.
Little Lyford Pond Camps
Built in the 1860s, Little Lyford Pond
Camps is a fabulous destination for
hiking, paddling, wildlife watching,
snowshoeing, cross-country skiing,
and fly fishing. Little Lyford is just a
two-mile hike from Gulf Hagas and the
Appalachian Trail.
Programs
Kids and residents from the local communities and
visitors to the project area are benefiting from
AMC’s environmental educational programs.
AMC staff are working with schools in Greenville
and Brownville to provide winter programs.
In 2005, AMC put 300 kids on skis, many for
the first time, and in 2006, AMC provided
environmental education and winter skills training.
Timber Harvesting
Through sustainable forestry on the Katahdin Iron
Works property, AMC is helping local economies.
Maine-based Huber Resources Corporation
is implementing a long-term timber management
plan for AMC that does not distract from the
recreationalist’s experience. We expect to receive
Forest Stewardship Council certification in 2009.
The Appalachian Trail originally traversed Chairback Mountain Camps.
An ecological survey conducted in 2004 on
AMC’s Katahdin Iron Works property found
more than 100 species of birds.

AN UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY
The Kresge Foundation has offered the Appalachian
Mountain Club an unprecedented opportunity: Raise $3.5
million by March 31, 2008 and Kresge will award AMC a
grant of $1.5 million for the Maine Woods Initiative.
AMC is asking you to support this ambitious project
with a dream gift in order to help make both the
Maine Woods Initiative a reality and the Kresge
challenge grant a success. The Kresge challenge
grant is a great way for you to leverage your gift to
the campaign. Every new gift or pledge will count
toward our goal of $3.5 million and will bring
AMC closer to receiving an additional $1.5 million
for this historic project. Help us meet this challenge
by making a contribution today!
Maine Woods Initiative Funding Needs
Land Acquisition
$26 million
Facilities and Equipment
$6 million
Trails
$1 million
Stewardship Endowment
$7 million
Project Design & Implementation $5 million
TOTAL PROJECT
$45 million
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
AMC members can support the Campaign for the Maine
Woods in many ways.
b Give generously. This is an ambitious project
with a big vision, and AMC is asking you to consider
one of the following giving levels:
Protect an Acre — the cost to acquire and
protect one acre of the Maine Woods is $1,000.
We are looking for 1,000 members to protect
an acre each with a contribution of $1,000.
Trail Builder — it costs an average of $10,000
to build a new mile of trail. Help AMC make
the Maine Woods accessible to outdoorspeople
by making a commitment of $10,000 to
support trails.
A Very Special Giving Opportunity — an
anonymous foundation is offering to match
gifts of $25,000 or more to the Campaign for the
Maine Woods dollar for dollar. Maximize your
gift through this foundation’s support and the
Kresge challenge grant.
b Spread the word about the project and the campaign
by hosting a Maine Blueberry Pancake Breakfast for
your chapter, committee, or outdoor friends and
neighbors. A breakfast tool kit is available with
everything you need to host a breakfast. A Campaign
Volunteer will attend to speak about the project.
b Visit and explore the splendid Maine Woods
and experience the variety of recreational opportunities
that AMC offers visitors.
The Stewardship Endowment Fund will provide ongoing support for the Initiative’s
land management, conservation, education, and recreation programs.

CAMPAIGN for the MAINE WOODS COMMITTEE
Don Dolben
Chair
Jim Hamilton
Chair Membership Phase &
Co-chair OH Fund
Andy McLane
Co-chair OH Fund
Enid L. Beal
Forrest Berkley
Laurie Burt
Peter Creighton
Andy Devereaux
Dr. James Stark Draper
Elizabeth Ehrenfeld
Laurie Gabriel
Rose Harvey
Bill Hays
William M. Hill
President
Clifford Krauss
Troy Murray
Andy Nichols
Nelson Obus
Sam Pryor
Peter Quesada
Sandy Saunders
Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz
Clifton C. Smith
Nancy Smith
T. Walley Williams III
STAFF
Andrew J. Falender
Executive Director
Walter S. Graff
Deputy Director
Gerry Whiting
Project Manager
J. Bryan Wentzell
Maine Policy Manager
Bob LeRoy
Land Stewardship Manager
Shannon LeRoy
Camps and Programs Manager
AMC’s MAINE OFFICES
7 Washington Street
PO Box 310
Greenville, Maine 04441
207.695.3085
14 Main Street, Box 57
Brunswick, Maine 04011
207.725.2248
CAMPAIGN STAFF
Clare O’Connell
coconnell@outdoors.org
617.523.0655 x347
Katrin Aback
kaback@outdoors.org
617.523.0655 x338
Molly Ruffle
mruffle@outdoors.org
617.523.0655 x320
Dave Greenberg
dgreenberg@outdoors.org
617.523.0655 x365
MISSION STATEMENT Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club
is America’s oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization. We promote
the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers, and trails of the
Appalachian region. We believe that the mountains and rivers have an intrinsic worth
and also provide recreational opportunity, spiritual renewal, and ecological and
economic health for the region. We encourage people to enjoy and appreciate the natural
world because we believe that successful conservation depends on this experience.
Campaign for the Maine Woods
Appalachian Mountain Club
Five Joy Street
Boston, MA 02108
617.523.0655
www.outdoors.org/mwi
mainewoods@outdoors.org