Save Our Wild Forests Campaign Factsheet

In the heart of Maine's mountain country, the dense canopies and meandering hiking trails of the White Mountain National Forest provide a haven for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

But last summer, the Bush administration slashed protections for 6,000 pristine acres of our national forest. The rollback requires Maine to petition the administration to reinstate protection of our wild forests within 18 months or they will be opened up to logging, road-building, mining and development.

The good news is that with enough public support, Mainers can trump this attempt to parse out our public land to private industry and protect our natural heritage.

Special Interest Dollars Roll Back Public Land Protections

Leading up to the Bush administration's repeal of wild forest protections, development interests spent heavily on campaign contributions and lobbying to open up protected national forests to mining, logging and other development. International Paper alone spent more than $1.2 million in the 2000 election cycle. These special interests found a sympathetic ear in the Bush administration's forest policy official, Mark Rey, who worked for nearly 20 years as a top lobbyist for the timber industry.

A Threat To Maine's Environment And Economy
With this repeal of protections for our wild forests, we stand to lose critical wildlife habitat and abundant recreational activities in places like the Wild River Basin and Evans Notch.

Recreation in the White Mountain National Forest has spurred a growing economic force that Maine cannot afford to lose; wildlife-related activities contributed $916 million to our state's economy in 2001 alone.

Protect Our Wild Forests

With only 6.7 percent of our land publicly owned, Mainers cannot allow the Bush administration to dole out our remaining wild national forest to logging, mining and developing interests. The state of Maine has 18 months to show the federal government that Mainers want to protect these pristine spots for future generations.

We Can Lead The Nation In Forest Protection
This year, Maine has an opportunity to set a national precedent for complete protection of wild national forestland, demonstrating to other governors that special interest dollars do not determine the use of public lands in our state.

Environment Maine has joined efforts with the governor and the Department of Conservation to kick off the petition process, and to demonstrate that Mainers'whether they are concerned citizens, elected officials, outdoor enthusiasts or local business owners'are committed to our wild forests.

Time Is Of The Essence

Gov. Baldacci and the Department of Conservation have vowed to call for complete protection of all 6,000 acres-but their voices alone won't be enough to save our wild forests.

The state of Maine has 18 months to submit a petition to the federal government requesting protections for Maine's wild forests. If the state fails to prove strong public support for protections within that timeframe, our national forest will be immediately opened to large-scale development.

Environment Maine is working with the state, local recreation businesses and the public in an intensive effort to demonstrate wide support for preserving Maine's natural heritage and the legacy of public land.