INTENT

The New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) is purchasing the development rights on 754,673 acres of Pingree lands for $37.10 per acre. NEFF is not purchasing any right of public use or public access. However, the Pingree family wanted to make clear in the easement their intent to continue the tradition of allowing public use on their land. The easement accomplishes this objective through the Purpose Section and utilizing the monitoring Baseline Documentation to record the type and volume of use.

CURRENT PUBLIC USE

Thirty years ago, the Pingree family helped establish North Maine Woods (NMW) to manage public access to and use of private land. North Maine Woods is an organization with several members including other landowners in northern Maine. NMW manages public access and use on over 2.8 million acres of forestland for these landowners. NMW manages this system to facilitate camping and day use throughout northern Maine. NMW manages approximately 200,000 visitor days each year, including approximately 90,000 visitor days on the Pingree lands covered by the easement. There are 230 NMW campsites on Pingree land, many of which include picnic tables, fire rings, outhouses and table shelters. There are also 94 fire permit sites to provide a safe camping place for hunters and others who prefer location over amenities. There are also many undocumented day users and overnight campers during the ice fishing and snowmobile season.

In the Rangeley district of western Maine, the public enjoys a 40-year tradition of commercially managed campsites on Pingree lands. Campground operators currently manage 183 sites on Pingree ground for public use. Some of the sites are in core campground areas with bathhouse facilities and power. Others are more remote with the same amenities as found in NMW sites such as, picnic tables, fire rings and outhouses. These campgrounds complement a system of public boat launches, private camps and commercial sporting camps. The Rangeley district public use system is wide open and has no public check-in, check out system so the number recreating on Pingree lands is difficult to measure. Current estimates are that tens of thousands enjoy this privately enabled public use accommodation system each year. In Maine there is a long history of public use on private lands. The Pingree family supports Maine's tradition of public access and use and goes to great lengths to accommodate public recreation on its lands.

WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC

The Pingree Family has an excellent working relationship with Maine Professional Guides Association, Maine Bowhunters Association, Maine Trappers Association, Maine Sporting Camp Owners Association, Maine Sporting Camp Owners Association and The Sportsman Alliance of Maine, to name a few. Dog sled racing and touring are allowed by request. The Pingree private and commercial sports camp lease programs date back over 100 years. Eight sporting camps serve fisherman, naturalists, hikers and hunters with organized and guided opportunities to experience Maine's wildlife in consumptive and non-consumptive ways. Maine families who enjoy their camps in every season of the year hold nearly 80% of the approximately 250 camp leases on Pingree land.

Public recreational opportunities on the Pingree easement lands include hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating, mountain biking, snowmobiling and even automobile racing. Currently, the tourism activity on these lands sustains more than 325 direct recreation and tourism jobs. Subject to logging safety, seasonal road considerations or specific requests from State of Maine biologists, all Pingree easement lands are available for public use. In 1999, Pingree Associates received the Outstanding Corporate Landowner Award from the State of Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department Landowner Relations Program "For allowing the public to use your land for outdoor recreational purposes. Your understanding, cooperation and assistance is genuinely appreciated. Thank you."

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