Dear Editor:

In 1975, I drove up from New Jersey to climb Mount Katahdin. That memorable trip, including a tour of Acadia National Park, introduced me to the scenic beauty of Maine. Now I am a full-time resident here, retired and eager to explore my new home.

If my experience serves as an illustration of the power of public lands to attract people (and their dollars) to a magnificent state in need of both, I would suggest that adding a national park and a national recreational area to Maine’s portfolio of natural wonders is a big win for both our environment and our economy. Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. is offering 87,500 acres of woods and waters east of Baxter State Park, along with a $40,000,000 endowment, to the National Park Service for designation as our country’s newest national monument. What better way to celebrate the National Park Service’s Centennial than by adding this jewel to the crown of what Ken Burns has called “America’s Best Idea”?

Not only would it protect the rich biodiversity of the upper Penobscot watershed, but it would create between 450 and 1,000 new jobs in the Katahdin area, a region of Maine that has suffered from a decline in the forest products industry and the economic hardships associated with unemployment and depleted tax revenues. (The evidence to support this claim is available in a detailed analysis of Penobscot and Piscataquis counties by Headwaters Economics, an independent, nonprofit research firm that specializes in economic impact studies.) The positive, knock-on effects of this employment boost would be felt throughout the state, as families travel to Maine in search of the quality experiences that only national parks can offer. Neighbors and entrepreneurs in the Bar Harbor area can testify to the thriving economy emanating from Acadia National Park.

If, like me, you support this magnanimous gift to posterity, please contact Senators King and Collins, Representatives Pingree and Poliquin, and National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis; let them know what an incredible opportunity we have to preserve the heart of Maine for all time!

Bill Hammond

Boothbay