Each organization explained what they envision is happening and what needs to be done, if anything that affects this gigantic piece of forested land.

Plum Creek represented by Gary Keane explained what his company is doing with its 906,000 acreage ownership in Maine plus its land investment business. They have four regional offices in Maine and conduct an ongoing harvest of forest products. Gary explained that the recent Maine wood inventory shows a 9% gain in volume since 1995 and an increase of 1 cord per acre growing.

John Simko, representing the Town of Greenville and the Maine Woods Coalition felt change is coming fast to the region and we should be proactive and try to meet this change head on. Development pressures are very strong around the Greenville area and market forces are strong. One of the few things we have to control this are various forms of easements and John feels We should continue to use them until something better comes along.

The Forest Society of Maine directed by Alan Hutchinson has been in the conservation easement business since 1984 and plan to continue using them where appropriate. Bruce Kidman from the Nature Conservancy felt we cannot let market forces control the situation and his organization has been setting up easements and purchasing property since 1951 in the US and 30 countries. The latest Maine parcel purchased by them yielded 35,000 cords of wood harvested last year. We are not a, "wine and cheese forestry", he stated.

Gerry Whiting represented the Appalachian Mountain Club's 3,500 members in Maine and 90,000 nationwide and discussed their recent purchase of 37,000 acres from IP. They will be harvesting this parcel as it needs to be to repay the $14 million debt while keeping the land open to recreation and ecotourism.

Mary Adams represented the, "Common Sense for Maine Forests," organization and felt locking land up today in an easement was a dangerous precedent because they may become inappropriate due to changing conditions in the future. It could be possible that all this land now coming under easement control could be turned over to the federal government in the future resulting in a National Park which many people are at present opposed to.

Dave Soucy, Director of Public Parks and Lands in Maine advised we should go cautiously and consider the future of the communities presently living in this north woods area. He admired the good rural values developed and nurtured and that they are worth preserving.

Doug Thomas of Ripley expressed concern about government and conservation groups, 11getting in bed together" and never saw a government that could run a woods operation successfully. Jim Bunn 'from Garland and Roger Merchant completed a full evening of discourse with pointed statements that all groups, even with opposing objectives and goals should "keep talking" and more of these forums should be held around the state.