#mainewoods — Public Fediverse posts

Well, if #Zuck is living here, then we should tax the shit out of him!

Locals outraged over developer's shocking act at popular hiking trail: 'We don't know why or for what purpose'

"There was some chatter."

by Alexis McDonell, July 3, 2025

"For generations, #BurntJacketMountain was a quiet sanctuary in the #MaineWoods. It was a place where locals hiked after work, kids scrambled up trails with their dogs, and tourists stumbled upon postcard views of #MooseheadLake. Then, one day last fall, the trail was closed without explanation, reported Bangor Daily News.

"Now, residents of #BeaverCove and nearby #Greenville are learning just how vulnerable even longtime public-use lands can be when money and greedy #developers enter the picture.

"In 2022, more than 1,400 acres surrounding Burnt Jacket Mountain were quietly sold for $8.1 million to an anonymous buyer operating through two holding companies. The deal included over two miles of lakefront and the entire trail system. The buyer has since filed plans to build a 3,750-square-foot lakefront home and closed the trails to the public, leaving residents with more questions than answers.

" 'It's what everyone is wondering,' Joe Babbitt, the select board chair in Beaver Cove, said, per Bangor Daily News. 'There's all kinds of gossip out there, saying it's everyone from the sultan of Egypt to 'insert your billionaire of choice here.''

"While private ownership of forests is common in Maine — about 95% of forest is privately owned — public access has often been granted out of custom and cooperation. Burnt Jacket Mountain was historically owned by #PaperCompanies and then timber firms like #McPhersonTimberlands, which allowed #PublicUse.

"However, that informal understanding is rapidly vanishing, replaced by high-end marketing, out-of-state buyers, and closed gates.

"The loss has hit the community hard.

"Burnt Jacket was a [close-to-town] locals' gem, this loss definitely stings to hiking enthusiasts that have used the trails time and time again over the years," Steve Yocom, executive director of Destination Moosehead Lake, said, per Bangor Daily News."

Read more:
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/burnt-jacket-mountain-maine-trails-closed/

#MarkZuckerberg #TaxTheBillionaires #ZuckSucks #Maine #MaineTrails #TaxTheRich #PenobscotLand #Landback

The final #APCAW presentation is Thursday, July 12th. #Penobscot #basketmaker and founding director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, #TheresaSecord will be the guest speaker.

APCAW was kind enough to provide me with a link to last week's video and a PDF guide from the conference. I will be looking through the guide and will post about some of the key points at a later date.

Even though the conference is free, pre-registration is required.

To register:
https://maineaudubon.org/events/everything-ash-webinar-series-june12/

Link to June 5th presentation video (including the bit I missed with #RichardSilliboy):
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/n63rnkAomz4AitHdAfBRC1hbSMCS2fuFUrQ7HU2UfP5gmrJiXoLREHE5UePF9EWU.TQktDNJCVGQMJjfu

#EmeraldAshBorer #AshTrees #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAG #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #MaineWoods #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeStewards