In the heart of the Maine North Woods runs a National Wild and Scenic River. The state of Maine designated the Allagash Wilderness Waterway a National Wild and Scenic River in 1965. A 92-mile waterway now exists with 106,563 acres of private forest land and 55,095 acres managed by the Bureau of Public Land (BPL) lying within one mile of each side of the watercourse.

The State committed to keeping the Allagash River a place where development would be discouraged and the peaceful beauty of the 92-mile waterway conserved. The state established a 500 foot Restricted Zone, bordering the river, to be managed for wilderness protection. There would be no development, except for a few dams and sporting camps, and no lumbering allowed. The privately owned New Construction Zone, a quarter of a mile in width and adjacent to the Restrictive Zone, is privately owned and permission from the state is required for development. The One Mile Zone is located beyond the new construction zone where timber harvesting is allowed, but clear-cuts are prohibited to ensure an unobstructed view from along the river.

In March 1998 the BPL drafted the first long-range management plan to guide the management and resource use of the Allagash until 2009.

The plan:

• will allow increased vehicle access -

• encourage intensive day use

• lacks a plan to discourage development within the One Mile Zone

Limited access, lack of motorized vehicles, and little development have kept the Allagash River a wilderness experience. These aspects are being threatened by citizens near and far from the River who are asking the BPL to open up more areas along the river for access, create parking lots, and permit the use of motorized-vehicles, such as All-Terrain Vehicles and snowmobiles. More access and development of trails throughout the waterway will promote intensive day-use activity and diminish the aspects of the River that the State of Maine committed to conserve.

Public hearings are currently being held by the Maine BPL to hear comments people have about the current proposed management plan. In order to keep the wilderness in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway they need to hear that:

• Limited access should be encouraged.
• Development in the One Mile Zone should be discouraged, this applies to parking areas within the One Mile Zone, specifically in reference to Allagash Stream.
• The use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) should be restricted.
• Motor-free zones established to encourage traditional methods of travel such as pole and paddled canoes, skis, snowshoes and feet.

The BPL needs to hear that the new management plan will go against the vision first sought by the State when it created the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. It is a special place meant for backcountry experiences, not intensive day use.

Where to send comments and get more information:

Send your written comments by June 5, 1998 to:
Tom Cielinski, BPL, SHS 22, Augusta, ME 04333

For a copy of the draft Allagash Management Plan, call the Bureau of Public Land at (207)287-3061