The prime objective of the Coalition is to prevent the creation of a federally-funded national park in our backyard. This goal will always be the hallmark of our organization and we must evaluate future actions we take in the context of realizing this prime purpose.

One of the most important ways we can ensure no such park is to increase our membership numbers. More members mean more people talking about issues of importance to all of us. It also builds momentum and credibility for our cause by raising awareness with others, especially elected officials, of our commitment to protecting our way of life in northern Maine.

We can also increase our level of contact with other groups in the State that share a common vision with us. Such groups can serve as additional spokespeople for our cause and, where appropriate, we can support their issues as well.

I believe we should pursue a path of active advocacy for protecting the Maine tradition of private property rights and support balanced and appropriate economic development in northern Maine, including its vast forests. We should work with the State on issues where mutual agreement is possible and respectfully agree to disagree when it is not possible to do so. We will not apologize for wanting to protect our special way of life here.

As some of your know, I am very concerned about the continued trend by government and non-profit groups of putting more pressure on our forest resources through the use of conservation easements or large land purchases that have the effect of limiting use of these areas. Last year, the Coalition adopted a Conservation Easement policy that set out criteria to help us evaluate such easements. The policy created an opportunity for us to have a voice in this debate. While some easements in special places may be desirable, many are nothing more than efforts by key environmental groups to stop any future possibility of seeing any development in the forests of our area. These groups have arbitrarily decided what is best for us, the people who live and work here. Their contempt for private landowners is amazing and arrogant. Many easements are not targeted to areas of special significance; rather, they are placed on wide swaths of forestland to prevent any opportunity for future development. While they usually “protect” traditional uses, including lumbering, they are really designed to prevent economic development over the long haul. We cannot allow that to continue because it will further erode our prospects for prosperity. The hook for current landowners is the “free money” that comes to them in return for the easement. These easements are intentionally negotiated in perpetuity to stop alternative uses in the future that could be highly desirable and even necessary, uses that may not be known for 50 or 75 years from now. Locking them up now forever is not wise or desirable public policy.

Next year, the State of Maine will seek a new $100 million bond issue for use by the Land for Maine's Future Board to gobble up more of our precious land resources. If passed, this bond will result in further limiting the opportunities for the working people of northern Maine as well as for their children and grandchildren. At a time when the State cannot or will not fulfill their financial promises to our children and our communities for quality educational opportunities, how can we afford to take on another $100 million in debt that these same children will have to repay? It is time to turn off this free-spending spigot.

The coming year will be an important one for the Coalition. With your help and support, we will make a meaningful difference in the issues that concern us.