Campaign to Conserve Katahdin Lake
Fulfilling the Vision of Governor Percival Baxter
In the summer of 1903 Percival Baxter caught his first glimpse of Mount Katahdin and became so inspired by its beauty and grandeur that creating a preserve around what he called "the greatest monument to nature that exists east of the Mississippi River" became his life's work.
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| Photo: Jerry and Marcy Monkman |
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At the request of Governor Baldacci, the Maine Department of Conservation and the Trust for Public Land have spearheaded the effort to secure a purchase agreement from the landowner and provide an opportunity to permanently protect the Katahdin Lake parcel for the people of Maine. The Maine State Legislature recently endorsed the Katahdin Lake Campaign with an overwhelming 90% of legislators voting to approve the project and appropriate $2.5 million of public funding to be allocated towards the purchase of the northern 1,975 acres.
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| Photo: Jerry and Marcy Monkman |
For the first time since Percival Baxter hiked through this land on his way up Mount Katahdin, the old growth forests and pristine lakefront on this property are under direct threat of harvesting and potential development. Today, after more than three years of discussion with two consecutive landowners, the Trust for Public Land, in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation, has secured an option to purchase 6,015 acres surrounding Katahdin Lake from Gardner Land Company of Lincoln, Maine.
Ultimate ownership of the optioned acreage will be divided between two state agencies. The southern 4,040 acres, including Katahdin Lake and the ridgelines that surround it, complete Governor Baxter's original 1921 proposal for a Mount Katahdin State Park and will become Part of the "core lands" of Baxter State Park. Guided by Governor Baxter's Deeds of Trust, the Baxter State Park Authority has indicated that the parcel will be managed as a non-motorized wilderness and wildlife sanctuary.
The northern 1,975 acres, encompassing the northern and eastern slopes of East and North Turner Mountains and extending to Wassataquoik Stream, will be purchased by the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands. Management of these acres will be guided by the Bureau's Integrated Resource Policy.
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| Photo: Jerry and Marcy Monkman |
With Katahdin's infamous "KnifeEdge" marking the northern terminus of the 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail, Mount Katahdin and its surrounding wildlands comprise Baxter State Park. For the thousands of people who have stood atop Maine's highest peak and looked east across the KnifeEdge for one of the most dramatic and inspiring views of their lifetime, Katahdin Lake is the primary background. Katahdin Lake itself, the wild eastern flanks of the Turner Mountain range, and the old growth forests that stretch from the cedar seepage forests southwest of the lake to the remote Wassataquoik Stream are all included in the Katahdin Lake parcel. Also included is land leased to the Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps, a privately owned and operated camp dating back to 1885 and visited by such notable figures as President Theodore Roosevelt; The Honorable William O. Douglas, US Supreme Court Justice; and celebrated landscape artist Frederick Church.
Fulfilling the Vision
The Katahdin Lake Campaign provides an unprecedented opportunity for the philanthropists of this generation to honor the memory of Governor Percival P. Baxter, complete his vision, and protect a truly special place. In keeping with the ideals and wishes of Governor Baxter, the land surrounding Katahdin Lake will be preserved in its natural state for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.
For decades, through the gracious generosity and unparalleled vision of Governor Baxter, this landscape has been providing solace, challenge and inspiration for hundreds of thousands of visitors. Now, for the first time ever, we have an opportunity to do our part in return by finishing what he started. What better way to demonstrate our gratitude and mirror his commitment then by securing the final piece of his puzzle.
The campaign for Katahdin Lake is the first private fundraising campaign ever to benefit Baxter State Park. The total project costs are $14,000,000. Approximately $2,500,000 will be available from state funds to purchase the north parcel leaving a private fundraising target of $11,500,000 to complete Baxter's vision. As of November 1st, we have raised $11,000,000 including the $2.5 million from the state.
Donate online or you may make your tax deductible gift payable to "The Trust for Public Land Katahdin Lake Campaign" by sending it to:
The Trust for Public Land
377 Fore Street, Third Floor
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 772-7424
Recent Press
Art Event Highlights Katahdin Lake
Cooperating Entities
The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land is a national non-profit organization dedicated to conserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since its founding in 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 2 million acres of land in 46 states, including more than 330,000 acres in New England and 94,500 acres in the State of Maine. TPL depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve our land for people mission.
TPL-protected properties in Maine include Tumbledown Mountain, Scarborough Beach, Meserve Farm, Portland's Eastern Promenade, the ongoing Katahdin Iron Works project in partnership with the AMC and the Maine Department of Conservation, and many others.
The Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation is a natural resource agency whose bureaus oversee the management and stewardship of some of Maine's most special places: 17 million acres of forestland, 10.4 million acres of unorganized territory, 49 parks and historic sites and more than 569,000 acres of public reserved land. Created in 1973, the Department of Conservation's mission is to benefit the citizens, landowners, and users of the state's natural resources by promoting stewardship and ensuring responsible balanced use of Maine's land, forest, water, and mineral resources. Maine Department of Conservation Web Site
The Baxter State Park Authority
The Baxter State Park Authority strives to carry out the provisions of the trust, created by Governor Percival P. Baxter, who acquired the lands now known to the people of Maine as Baxter State Park. The Authority exists to ensure that the Park "Shall forever be kept and remain in the Natural Wild State", to provide recreational opportunities in accordance with trust provisions and to operate and maintain the Park for the use and enjoyment of Maine's people. According to the donor's wishes, most of the Park is managed as a sanctuary for beasts and birds and "Katahdin in all its glory forever shall remain the mountain of the People of Maine." Baxter State Park Web Site
Updated 11/2006
FILE ATTACHMENTS:
 Katahdin Lake Area Maps | Katahdin Lake Case Statement |
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