Ken Burns’ recent series on The National Parks: America’s Best Idea has sparked great interest in the proposed Maine Woods National Park and Preserve. July’s richly illustrated EcoForum presentation explains the ownership revolution in northern Maine and other pressures on Thoreau’s Maine Woods. The talk by Jym St. Pierre, Maine Director of RESTORE: The North Woods, explains why we are at a tipping point and explores ideas to restore Maine’s globally significant wildlands — including creating a spectacular 3.2-million-acre national park & preserve. Learn all about the proposed project at Tin Mountain Conservation Center’s July EcoForum at noon on July 8 at the Nature Learning Center in Albany.
RESTORE: The North Woods is a grassroots organization focused on restoring the health of the entire landscape through conservation action. Founded in 1992, RESTORE currently directs their major efforts on the recovery and protection of wild forests in New England, including the creation of a Maine Woods National Park. They have also taken a major leadership role in the return of extirpated and imperiled wildlife, including the eastern timber wolf, Canada lynx, and Atlantic salmon.
Jym St. Pierre has been Maine Director of RESTORE: The North Woods since 1995. He has held senior positions in Maine within the Maine Department of Conservation, The Wilderness Society, and the Sierra Club. He has also served in many public interest positions, including Citizens to Protect the Allagash (Founding Chair), Maine League of Conservation Voters (Co-founder), The Nature Conservancy Maine Chapter (Trustee), Natural Resources Council of Maine (Secretary), Kennebec Land Trust (Founding President), and Capital Area Camera Club (President). A Maine native and an award-winning photographer, Jym has spent a good deal of time exploring the wildlands and waters in the Maine Woods.
The Eco-Forum lunchtime lecture series is sponsored by The Flatbread Company of North Conway, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Rock House Mountain Baker and is presented at noon on the second Thursday of each month at the Tin Mountain Nature Learning Center in Albany. The public is urged to attend to learn more about salient issues facing our natural environment and to hear the views of thought-provoking speakers.