PHILLIPS — The High Peaks Alliance is organizing a public forum series on “Keeping a Way of Life: Hunting, Fishing and Trails for Future Generations in High Peaks.”
The public is welcome to attend one or more of the forums. The first, sponsored by the Sandy River Business Association, will be held at the Phillips Community Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20.
Three more forums will be scheduled in March and April, in Rangeley, Kingfield-Carrabassett Valley-Eustis and Farmington. Each forum will include a moderator, a slide show presentation, a panel and an opportunity for questions and answers.
The organizers will collect written comments and use the comments to focus the subsequent forum so that every perspective is discussed. Light refreshments will be provided, and discussion from all perspectives will be encouraged.
Ongoing challenge to traditional public recreation access in the high peaks region is the reason for organizing the public forums. There are new landowners with new management goals, and there are increasing expectations for more kinds of public recreation access.
Each forum will explore the issues facing residents, landowners, sporting and trail groups and business interests. High Peaks Alliance will explain its recent efforts to protect traditional public access, using methods tailored to each situation, such as promoting landowner cooperation, funding permanent forest easements and resolving conflicts between trail systems.
An innovative new conservation opportunity, combining protection of traditional hunting, fishing and trails with new wildlife conservation funding, will be introduced as an example of how local people can influence conservation decisions so they benefit local economy.
High Peaks Alliance is a group of local hunters, snowmobilers, ATV riders, hikers and guides dedicated to protecting traditional public recreation access in Franklin County’s high peaks region. For more information, visit www.highpeaksalliance.org. Further support for the series is being provided by Western Mountains Alliance. Visit www.westernmountainsalliance.org for more information.
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