On Wilderness

Maine Environment: Frontline Voices

Maine has some of the wildest landscapes east of the Mississippi, with more than half the state – 10.5 million acres—in our Unorganized Territories, with no municipal governments, very few services, and few permanent dwellings. Maine’s 600,000 acres of State-owned Public Reserved Land includes wild places that for many come as close to wilderness as they will ever experience. But what does the word “wilderness” mean? That’s the question we pose to several people who live in Maine and know the state’s wild places, in some cases like the backs of their hands. • Bill Houston, Maine Guide from Kingfield • Jen Brophy, Owner of Red River Camps • James E. Francis, Sr., Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation for the Penobscot Nation • Kevin Slater, Co-owner of Mahoosuc Guide Service