St. John-Allagash Region - Management Plan

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has begun a 15-year management plan for approximately 63,000 acres of lands known as the St. John-Allagash Region. The region roughly encompasses the western part of Aroostook County as well as northernmost Somerset and Piscataquis Counties. The St. John and Allagash Rivers, renowned for their wilderness settings and paddling opportunities, flow through the region. Chamberlain, Allagash and Eagle Lakes are among the major lakes in the region.

This plan will guide the Bureau’s management of the Telos, Chamberlain and Round Pond Public Lands, as well as Gero Island/Chesuncook lands on Chesuncook Lake and several smaller lots near the Allagash River and the town of Allagash.

Most of the public lands to be addressed by this plan are adjacent to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW), the management of which is guided by a Management Plan adopted in December 2012. The St. John-Allagash Plan will not directly address the AWW or alter the 2012 AWW plan, but will address any issues whereby management of adjacent public lands may affect the AWW.

Currently the Telos and Round Pond Units are managed under plans adopted in 1990 and 1992, respectively. Both of these were the first management plans for their respective Public Reserved Lands. Also, a management plan was prepared for Gero Island/Chesuncook in 1980; however, this was prior to Gero Island’s designation as an Ecological Reserve. New plans will be prepared for all of those areas, as part of the larger regional plan.

The current management plans are available for download below. The new St. John-Allagash Region Plan will also be posted as work on the plan progresses. To read these files, you will need a copy of the free Adobe Reader software.

The Public Planning Process

A public scoping meeting was held August 30, 2017 in Ashland, where the public had an opportunity to provide input on the region’s resources, and on issues and concerns related to management and use of the public lands to be addressed in the Plan. Meeting minutes and written comments are posted below.

An Advisory Committee (AC) was formed and is comprised of individuals who know the resources of the area or can provide specific guidance on the needs and desires of certain user groups. AC meetings will be held during the fall and winter to further discuss management issues and to review Plan drafts prepared by BPL staff. Notice of the AC meetings will be posted here; the meetings are open to the public.

Once a final draft of the St. John-Allagash Plan is written, a public meeting will be held to receive comments, sometime in the early summer of 2018. After a 3 week comment period, a Final Plan will be prepared, for adoption by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry based on the recommendation of the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands. This page will be updated throughout the planning process with draft plans and meeting minutes.

Public Meetings

No meetings currently scheduled.
Date and Time Headline Location Additional Information

 

Management Plan Documents

For more information:

Jim Vogel
Senior Planner
Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0022
(207) 287-2163