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The Sierra Club and the 100
Mile Wilderness Region
The spectacular 100 Mile
Wilderness of the Maine woods represents the longest stretch of
uninterrupted wilderness along the entire Appalachian Trail. Located
in northern Maine, the 100 Mile Wilderness is at the heart of the 10 million
acre Maine Woods - the largest contiguous forest land east of the
Mississippi. This narrow, protected corridor is rich in Maine's
wilderness heritage providing opportunities for hiking, cross-country
skiing, remote fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Spectacular natural
wonders such as Gulf Hagas, the Cloud Forest and the Debsconeags Lakes offer
unparalleled vistas, wild forests and waterways. The area also hosts
several 100-plus year-old traditional wilderness sporting camps where
sportsmen fly fish for Maine brook trout and watch for loons, bald eagles,
moose, bear, lynx and pine marten.
But despite its name, this ecologically rich area is by
no means a preserved wilderness. The vast majority of the 100 Mile
Wilderness is privately owned by paper companies who have already scarred
the forest with clearcuts and road building - in some places as close as 100
feet from the Appalachian Trail.
Sierra Club has made protection of the 100 Mile
Wilderness and the Moosehead Lake region a top priority. If true
wilderness protection isn't soon secured for the 100 Mile Wilderness it may
be lost forever. The Maine chapter of the Sierra Club is actively
working with sportsmen, public officials, and local residents to acquire key
land parcels and protect a vital stretch of the Appalachian Trail and
Maine's wilderness heritage for future generations. |
Photo by Leanne Krudner
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