The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) will kick off the public process for its use management planning in the Western Mountains Region with two public scoping meetings later this month and next month.
Management plans for BPL public reserved lands units are revised every 15 years on a rotation basis. It is now time to look at the Mahoosuc, Bald Mountain, Four Ponds and Richardson Lake parcels, according to Amy Hudnor, BPL senior planner.
These lands contain valuable recreational resources, including the Appalachian Trail and the Grafton Loop Trail, as well as an ecological reserve, wildlife resources and timber resources, among other things, Hudnor said.
PHOTO: Top of Bald Mountain – adventuretaker.com
“We will seek to create a ‘vision’ for each Public Reserved Land Unit in the management planning process,” the BPL planner said. “We’ll consider important recreation issues, including the broad question of which types of recreation should occur and where, and specific items, such as location and maintenance of trails, parking and other facilities.
“We’ll also be looking at which areas are harvested for timber, managed for wildlife habitat, and allocated for special protection,” she said.
The two meetings will take place at different venues for the public’s convenience. They will be held:
6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 28, Rumford Town Hall Auditorium 145 Congress St., Rumford (use River St. entrance).
6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 4, Rangeley Lakes Regional School Multipurpose Room, 43 Mendolia Rd., Rangeley.
Listening to ideas from the public is vital to BPL planning for public reserved lands, Hudnor said. The BPL planner said that for previous management plans, hearing the different perspectives of participants has helped keep BPL staff in touch with the interests and opinions of those who use and value these lands.
The two scoping meetings mark the beginning of the public process for the Western Mountains Plan and will assist BPL staff in writing the first draft of the plan. Another public meeting will be scheduled later in the year to review the final draft of the plan and receive feedback
Written comments on the Western Mountains Region Management Plan can be sent to Amy Hudnor, senior planner, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333
For more information, go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/planning/index.html
