Create a Maine Woods National Park

This is a great opportunity in conservation that will benefit people and wildlife alike.  The Maine Woods is the largest area of undeveloped wild lands in the eastern United States.  The region is home to a great diversity of plant and animals species, such as the endangered Canada lynx.  The scenery here is some of that which our nation is so well known for.  A National Park will provide the protection that this region vitally needs. 

The Maine Woods has gone mostly unprotected for centuries, due largely to its value to the logging industry.  This industry is now only a small remnant of its past forms and many small communities have been experiencing very difficult economic times for decades.  These communities could desperately use an economic boost.  National Parks have been shown to provide a sustainable economic lift to small towns across the country, and will undoubtedly do the same in Maine. 

Across the western United States, there are large National Parks with vast open spaces and wilderness areas.  No such park exists in East.  A Maine Woods National Park would provide the experience of a western park to the people who live in population centers of the Northeast.  Furthermore, the creation of a Maine Woods National Park would be a great way to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service, which will be in 2016. 

Some of the land in the Maine Woods has already been protected by different organizations and agencies, but much remains unprotected and open to unsustainable development.  A National Park is needed to unite this land in a single organization so that it, along with its plants, animals, communities, and economies, may be adequately protected forever.