This past Wednesday, May 30, I spent the day with members from the Baxter State Park Advisory Committee assembling picnic tables for the Park. I don't know the specific number, but the Park likely has at least 400 picnic tables scattered over the 210,000 acres of the Katahdin landscape. If we expect each table to last 15 years, then we should be making 30 tables every year. On Wednesday, we made 20. They still need to be stained, but it's a good start.
 |
| Some of the BSP Advisors L-R: Tom Goetz, Rick Bray (Vice Chair), Carla Ritchie (Chair), Laurie Rich, Mike Perry (past member), Spencer Meyer, Laurie Nale, Doug Callnan. |
The Baxter State Park Advisory Committee is a 15 member committee, appointed by the Baxter State Park Authority for a two year term. Advisory members are limited to a total of three two year terms after which they must "term-out" for at least one year. Advisors are typically experienced Park users with a variety of orientations and experience in outdoor recreation. Regardless of what Baxter Park outdoor activity you might think of, there is likely an Advisor with experience in that activity both in the Park as well as other places in New England, the U.S. and the world.
 |
| BSP Advisors, Guests and Staff meeting in April, 2012 |
Baxter Park Advisors live all over the State of Maine. The Advisors primarly purpose is to do just that - advise. We meet roughly once per month during the winter months from November to April to review proposals and drafts of various Park policy issues and initiatives. The best description of the process is that the Advisors don't make Park policy, they make Park policy better. In the summer, we take field trips in the Park for site visits to areas of policy issue and we also work on volunteer projects - like picnic tables! The BSP Advisors provided important input in the development of the Park Management Plan, and Advisors are currently providing feedback on the assimilation of the recently donated Huber Lot on Katahdin Lake. I can't tell you enough how helpful and enjoyable it is to work with these positive, knowledgeable and constuctive people.
You can view the current list of the Advisors on the Park website at http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/about/BSPadvisory.php
If you are interested in contributing to Baxter State Park, have some experience in the Park, are a Maine resident and you have some weekdays that you could be available for meetings and summer field hikes, please contact me and we'll talk over the possibilities.
