FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 28, 2017
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters Group Forms
PATTEN – Six months after President Obama created a new national monument in Maine, a new nonprofit organization has formed to support Maine’s new national monument. Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters will work to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality and distinctive cultural resources of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of all generations.
The private group is not part of the National Park Service but intends to enter into an agreement to work collaboratively with and support the mission of the National Park Service that manages the monument.
“Initially, the friends group will focus on building volunteer opportunities, developing education programs and advocating for the monument,” said Lucas St. Clair, president of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “Eventually, the nonprofit organization will provide financial support for specific projects in the monument and surrounding communities, raise private funds to supplement—not replace—federal appropriations, protect the integrity of the monument and its resources, and speak for users in the betterment of monument operations.”
“Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument can become a first-class destination for visitors to northern Maine,” said Anita Mueller, vice president of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “I look forward to working with the National Park Service to develop services, facilities and programs that will make the experience of visiting the national monument a wonderful, lifetime memory.”
“All of us at Friends of Acadia are excited by this announcement and want to welcome the Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters into the community of friends groups that help serve national parks and national monuments throughout the country,” said David MacDonald, president of Friends of Acadia in Bar Harbor Maine. “Friends of Acadia has received incredible support from volunteers, businesses, and surrounding communities who want to give back to Acadia, and public-private partnerships like this will only become more important in the future. We look forward to being a resource and partner with our friends to the north.” Friends of Acadia has granted more than $25 million to the park and surrounding communities since its founding in 1986 in support of dozens of projects, including youth programs, restoration of Acadia’s trails and carriage roads, and establishment of the fare-free Island Explorer bus system. (See www.friendsofacadia.org for more information).
“Already we have seen opportunities to partner with the National Park Service,” said Terry Hill from Mt. Chase. “This winter, our local snowmobile club partnered with the National Park Service to put new decking on two snowmobile bridges within the national monument. I look forward to working with the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters to find additional opportunities to improve the visitors’ experience at the national monument. We want to increase the number of people who are involved in making the monument better.”
“We know that the national monument has many valuable historical artifacts from the days when Native people traveled up the Penobscot for hunting and fishing to the storied times of log drives and paper making,” said Don Hudson, treasurer of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters could help the national monument protect those artifacts and tell those stories to thousands of visitors.”
“The national monument currently has some excellent hiking, paddling, biking and cross country skiing,” said Cathy Johnson, secretary of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “But there could be much more. We look forward to helping the National Park Service identify and develop additional opportunities for active, outdoor recreation.”
“Congratulations to those who have established the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters,” said Tim Hudson, Superintendent of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. “I look forward to working in partnership with the group and its volunteers to make the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument a first class destination for visitors.”
The Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is launching with a thirteen-member board of directors with an immediate goal of attracting additional members. The public can join the group by going to https://www.friendsofkww.org.
“There has been an outpouring of support for the national monument since it was created,” said Molly Ross, from Arlington, VA. “Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters will provide a place for supporters from Maine to Mississippi to Montana and beyond to go to find out what is going on in the national monument and how they can help support it. People can go to www.katahdinwoodsandwaters.org right now to join.”
Current board members include: Terry Hill, Mt. Chase, ME; Don Hudson, Arrowsic, ME (treasurer); Cathy Johnson, Alna, ME (secretary); Dan Kleban, Freeport, ME; Peter Knight, New York, NY; Clint Linscott, East Millinocket, ME; Anita Mueller, Millinocket, ME (vice president); Ken Olson, Bass Harbor, ME; Matt Polstein, Millinocket, ME; Simon Roosevelt, New York, NY; Molly Ross, Arlington, VA; Lucas St. Clair, Portland, ME (president), and Howard Whitcomb, Brunswick, ME.
What’s New
Posted: June 28, 2017 by Sarah Andre
Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters Send Letter to Department of Interior Secretary Zinke
On April 26, 2017, the President issued an Executive Order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to review 27 National Monuments, including Katahdin Woods and Waters. During public comment period, over 99.96% of people who filed comments supported the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Following a visit to the region by DOI Secretary Ryan Zinke, the Board of Directors of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters sent him the following detailed letter, strongly opposing the review of the Monument, or any attempt to alter its designation.
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters DOI Review CommentsPosted: March 24, 2017 by Sarah Andre
Friends Group Voices Support For National Monument
PRESS RELEASE
March 24, 2017
PATTEN – In light of recent calls to rescind the designation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, the board of directors of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters, a nonprofit charitable corporation formed to provide grants and other assistance to the monument, has affirmed its strong support of the monument’s permanent establishment under law and urges all of Maine’s local, state and federal officials to champion the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
The Friends group believes that the monument:
The mission of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality and distinctive cultural resources of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of all generations. The organization is member supported. To join or for more information, go to https://www.friendsofkww.org
Posted: February 28, 2017 by Sarah Andre
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters Group Forms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 28, 2017
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters Group Forms
PATTEN – Six months after President Obama created a new national monument in Maine, a new nonprofit organization has formed to support Maine’s new national monument. Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters will work to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality and distinctive cultural resources of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of all generations.
The private group is not part of the National Park Service but intends to enter into an agreement to work collaboratively with and support the mission of the National Park Service that manages the monument.
“Initially, the friends group will focus on building volunteer opportunities, developing education programs and advocating for the monument,” said Lucas St. Clair, president of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “Eventually, the nonprofit organization will provide financial support for specific projects in the monument and surrounding communities, raise private funds to supplement—not replace—federal appropriations, protect the integrity of the monument and its resources, and speak for users in the betterment of monument operations.”
“Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument can become a first-class destination for visitors to northern Maine,” said Anita Mueller, vice president of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “I look forward to working with the National Park Service to develop services, facilities and programs that will make the experience of visiting the national monument a wonderful, lifetime memory.”
“All of us at Friends of Acadia are excited by this announcement and want to welcome the Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters into the community of friends groups that help serve national parks and national monuments throughout the country,” said David MacDonald, president of Friends of Acadia in Bar Harbor Maine. “Friends of Acadia has received incredible support from volunteers, businesses, and surrounding communities who want to give back to Acadia, and public-private partnerships like this will only become more important in the future. We look forward to being a resource and partner with our friends to the north.” Friends of Acadia has granted more than $25 million to the park and surrounding communities since its founding in 1986 in support of dozens of projects, including youth programs, restoration of Acadia’s trails and carriage roads, and establishment of the fare-free Island Explorer bus system. (See www.friendsofacadia.org for more information).
“Already we have seen opportunities to partner with the National Park Service,” said Terry Hill from Mt. Chase. “This winter, our local snowmobile club partnered with the National Park Service to put new decking on two snowmobile bridges within the national monument. I look forward to working with the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters to find additional opportunities to improve the visitors’ experience at the national monument. We want to increase the number of people who are involved in making the monument better.”
“We know that the national monument has many valuable historical artifacts from the days when Native people traveled up the Penobscot for hunting and fishing to the storied times of log drives and paper making,” said Don Hudson, treasurer of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters could help the national monument protect those artifacts and tell those stories to thousands of visitors.”
“The national monument currently has some excellent hiking, paddling, biking and cross country skiing,” said Cathy Johnson, secretary of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. “But there could be much more. We look forward to helping the National Park Service identify and develop additional opportunities for active, outdoor recreation.”
“Congratulations to those who have established the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters,” said Tim Hudson, Superintendent of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. “I look forward to working in partnership with the group and its volunteers to make the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument a first class destination for visitors.”
The Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is launching with a thirteen-member board of directors with an immediate goal of attracting additional members. The public can join the group by going to https://www.friendsofkww.org.
“There has been an outpouring of support for the national monument since it was created,” said Molly Ross, from Arlington, VA. “Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters will provide a place for supporters from Maine to Mississippi to Montana and beyond to go to find out what is going on in the national monument and how they can help support it. People can go to www.katahdinwoodsandwaters.org right now to join.”
Current board members include: Terry Hill, Mt. Chase, ME; Don Hudson, Arrowsic, ME (treasurer); Cathy Johnson, Alna, ME (secretary); Dan Kleban, Freeport, ME; Peter Knight, New York, NY; Clint Linscott, East Millinocket, ME; Anita Mueller, Millinocket, ME (vice president); Ken Olson, Bass Harbor, ME; Matt Polstein, Millinocket, ME; Simon Roosevelt, New York, NY; Molly Ross, Arlington, VA; Lucas St. Clair, Portland, ME (president), and Howard Whitcomb, Brunswick, ME.