Central Penobscot Region Management Plan meeting Dec. 4 in Milo

    MILO — The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands will hold a public meeting on the Central Penobscot Region Management Plan Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the Milo town office.

    This plan will guide the bureau’s management of 79,000 acres of public lands in a region extending from Bradford to Baxter Park which includes Nahmakanta and Seboeis Lake public lands, as well as lands recently acquired by the state east of Baxter State Park.
    The purpose of this final public meeting is to receive feedback on a final draft management plan that was crafted with the input of the Central Penobscot Region Management Plan Advisory Committee and the general public.
    The plan has a 15-year duration with a required status update every five years. The department will present an overview of the proposed plan, followed by an opportunity for members of the public to offer comments.
    Commissioner Walt Whitcomb stressed the importance of public input and diligent work of the advisory committee. “The Central Penobscot Region Management Plan has been more than two years in the making and has included a public scoping meeting and several advisory committee meetings,” Whitcomb said. “I encourage interested parties to become involved in the future of our public lands by reviewing the final draft management plan and offering comments at the meeting.
    Nahmakanta Public Lands are northeast of Moosehead Lake and south of Katahdin, surrounding Nahmakanta Lake, 4th through 8th Debsconeag Lakes and many other ponds.
    The Appalachian Trail runs south of Nahmakanta Lake. A portion of the property is designated an ecological reserve, and snowmobile and ATV touring trails as well as day hiking, camping, boating, hunting and fishing opportunities are abundant at Nahmakanta.
    Seboeis Public Lands, located between Brownville Junction and Millinocket, encompass nearly all of Seboeis Lake. Stunning views of Katahdin from the Lake are enabled by a boat ramp at the north end, and several campsites are available along the shores.
    As a result of a recent acquisition, a snowmobile and ATV trail has been constructed that travels on the east side of Seboeis Lake and connects Millinocket to points south.
    The state acquired approximately 5,700 acres at the south end of Seboeis Lake in 2012, conserving all of the shoreline of this lake except a few private camp lots.
    Also part of this plan are newly acquired public lands north of Millinocket, part of a larger effort to secure multiple uses including snowmobiling and hunting in the Katahdin region.
    The East Turner Mountain Public Lands came under bureau management in 2006, when the state also acquired the Katahdin Lake parcel to the south which was added to Baxter State Park.
     The Millinocket Forest Public Lands are north of Millinocket Lake in T2 R8 WELS and were acquired by the State early in 2011 fueled in part by efforts to secure the ITS snowmobile trail running through it.  Written comments will be accepted until Dec. 18. After this comment period, the final plan will be prepared for review and adoption by the commissioner.