To make this more accessible to residents of the sparsely populated surrounding area and to attract national and international visitors, BCI has funded the infrastructure and visitor facilities necessary to create new recreational opportunities and stimulate the local ecotourist economy. Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more. So why here, at the edge of Maine? Making the crossing at the new preserve at low tide is important, since the 23-foot Downeast tides can come fast. One weekend, Butler requested a trip along the Seboeis, a backcountry stream that joins the East Branch in whats now the national monument. The result will be the longest integrated trail system for biking and hiking east of the Mississippi. He doesnt relish talking to media or, as several of his colleagues mention, being the focus of attention whatsoever. Were allies, said Jon Southern, DCCs executive director, of the various land groups in the region. Miami Shores, Florida 33138. Cobscook Shores is a system of 20 parklands that offer free public access and recreational use! The name Cobscook derives from the Passamaquoddy word Kapskuk, which translates to place where the water looks like it is boiling. Spend some time in these parts with its incredible rushing and roiling 24-foot tides, and youll see why. Less-experienced paddlers still can travel between some of the preserves by water, but following more protected routes with safer water crossings marked on maps with black dotted lines is advised. Vote for YourFaves in the 2023 Best of Maine Reader Poll! And the more beautiful they are, the more, once you get somebody out there, the light goes off.. The states forested interior is home both to Baxter State Park, created by Governor Percival Baxter in 1930 and one of the most pristine protected areas in the eastern United States, and to Mount Katahdin, celebrated in the writings of Henry David Thoreau as the purest definition of wilderness. There is no question more people will come here, said Lubec native and summer resident David Stockford as he studied the maps at the Red Point kiosk. But you cant kindle a campfire here, or anywhere else. But to a large degree, it is simply because Butler loves paddling a kayak here, and because the bulk of the decision-making at BCF from where to invest to how to site a trail to what sort of furniture adorns the visitor center derives from the tastes and proclivities of its dynamic, uncompromising founder. With the decline of Maines timber industry, the economic benefit that local communities will derive from these recreational and ecotourist activities is one of BCIs key goals. But he made an effort to answer my questions, which I appreciated. Butler Seafood House & Grille, 386-496-3700, 315 N. Lake Ave., Lake Butler Spires IGA Market , www.spiresiga.com , 386-496-3361, 610 SW First St., Lake Butler Lake Butler and Union County in 60 seconds Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. Board chair Grassi thinks its achievable and that Cobscook Shores offers much of what Acadia visitors want. Morong Cove Check out the view from a high bluff at this small preserve, which offers a 1-mile trail. Fifteen different waterfront parklands along the Cobscook Bay, free of charge. Next, we decamped to a parcel called Old Farm Point, a couple of miles down the road. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Once they acquired that land, Polstein says, the vision just exploded.. They enjoyed some mild whitewater and the wooded peaks of the Katahdin foothills and saw nary a soul. I went into town to board a boat with a group that included Carlson and two of BCFs board members, Dana Beach and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins a pair of giants in environmental circles and exemplary of the outsize expertise and clout that BCF is bringing to rural Maine. As this protection is extended, the Black River Cypress Trails project will create facilities for outdoor recreation, centered on kayaking and riverside trails, that will address the lack of recreational activities for students and residents of nearby towns such as Kingstree and Andrews that have been hit hard by the decline of the local textile industry. Red Point once hosted a campground, then a cluster of trailers, and the site had seen better days when BCF made it its first Cobscook acquisition. He very much enjoys doing this work. Follow more of Careys adventures on Facebook and Instagram @CareyKish. For many years BCI has funded a variety of land conservation and habitat protection projects in both the Chilean and Argentine portions of Patagonia. My first impression was that its the perfect place for what he really wants to do, which is to introduce young people to the outdoors.. . Coastal views are big part of what attracted Butler to Cobscook Bay; Old Farm Point Shorefront Park overlooks Lubec, from which its an easy paddle; rhe crushed-stone paths at Cobscook Shores and Penobscot River Trails are reminiscent of Acadias carriage roads. Sure enough, the site manager said, the spot was ideal. About 3 miles west of the Lubec waterfront, a wrought iron gate marks the entrance to Red Point Nature Preserve, where a pleasant gravel lane beckons, leading into park-like terrain that was once cleared farmland. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Use the form below to reset your password. Many visiting the trails in early August had no idea how this parkland scattered throughout Lubec and Whiting came to be. The organization will work with local communities in the design and implementation of conservation and education programs and projects to ensure the support and involvement of community stakeholders, and to help all residents of the Cobscook Bay region to enjoy and appreciate the stunning natural environment found in that part of easternmost Maine. The goal is to combine Valle Chacabuco with two neighboring national reserves into a single national park. The preserves parks are mostly dispersed along three long necks Crows, Denbow, and Seward and biking the length of any of these outreaches makes for a satisfying 5-plus-mile ride on roads mostly free of cars. Most recently, BCI has focused its attention on South Carolinas Black River, north of Charleston. They were a study in grays and greens, craggy shores twisting and turning, forming a labyrinth of quiet coves and inlets. Nearby Areas. Photo courtesy of the Butler Conservation Fund. It isnt just about parkland, he and others stressed. But Gil then takes that extra step, and his conservation fund not only is buying the land but is putting in place an organization with infrastructure.. 9715 NE 2nd Ave Miami Shores, FL 33138. I mentioned being in some of the public meetings in the Katahdin region back when the monument was still a controversial proposal, the acrimony Id heard in school gyms at the prospect of a rich outsider like Roxanne Quimby buying up land for a park in timber country. BCIs vision for this special landscape is to create the infrastructure necessary to develop its full potential for year-round outdoor recreation. As a summer resident of Northeast Harbor for 70 years, Butler, 83, has a deep connection to Maine. All of these facilities are available free of charge to schools participating in BROEP programs, and five of the campuses provide unrestricted access to the general public. This picnic spot at the new Red Point preserve takes some work to get to but the view is the reward. I want one of those, Butler said to himself, and I want to do that.. But in the early 2010s, to hear several of his colleagues tell it, the Butler Conservation Fund adopted a sudden and significant new approach. Ann Parson can be reached at parson-a@outlook.com. Or, for amphibious craft, theres Lubecs harbor. He still does this. Cobscook Shores features 13 miles of Downeast coastline, Birding: In right conditions, southern migration can be spectacular. A number of the properties, however, are already open to the public. He just loves Maine. display: none; The philanthropist had come to the Katahdin region to paddle the East Branch of the Penobscot, curious about the river in light of the push to establish a National Park Service property alongside it (what is now Katahdin Woods and Waters). His mother, who came from a prosperous New York political family, owned a home at the mouth of Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, in Northeast Harbor. Since 2005, when he curtailed the operations of his firm, he has devoted most of his time to environmental philanthropy, traveling widely to evaluate and shepherd conservation projects in some of the worlds most exquisite landscapes: the mountains of Patagonia, the savannas of Mozambique, the temperate rain forests of British Columbia. This is well designed, well executed, and high quality. I am an aesthete, he went on, chopping at the air for emphasis. In Lubec, my lunch chat with Butler was brief. In four of its six legacy geographies, BCI has created or is developing an innovative model of "landscape-scale conservation" that integrates the protection of sensitive lands, both private and public, with high-quality infrastructure and facilities that offer rich opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education programs. Several of Maines historic patrons, furthermore, have been wary or ambivalent about facilitating widespread public use of their conserved lands. The size of the preserves range from quite small, with just a half-mile or less of walking paths, to comparatively large ones that offer up to five miles of walking. I know beautiful places. The point is a wooded, snout-like peninsula dangling into South Bay Narrows, one of Cobscook Bays many tendrils, just 4 miles west of downtown Lubec. Our vision is conservation through public access, said Carlson. Sign up and we'll help you stay connected to Vacationland by sending our twice-a-month newsletter to your inbox. Butler really believes it is unique in what it has to offer in its natural beauty. Butler, his colleagues say, was much affected by Richard Louvs 2005 bestsellerLast Child in the Woods, which argued that screen-addled American kids suffer from a nature-deficit disorder affecting their health and behavior and making them, in the long run, unlikely advocates for wild places. Many thousands of preserved acres stretch from Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in the west to Treat Island in the east. Learn more. The Butler properties have a few camping sites, as do neighboring preserves. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Betta Stothart, a spokesperson for the Butler Conservation Fund in Maine, hikes out to Red Point at Cobscook Shores in Lubec. In Lubec, a new network of waterfront parks is the latest project by a global philanthropic foundation with an increasingly large Maine footprint and an unconventional approach to conservation. Butler is now 83 and has paddled kayaks all over the world. Cobscook Shores in the past two years served 350 schoolchildren annually. LUBEC, Maine (WABI) - After years of reshaping the land for hiking and biking, the developers of Cobscook Shores in Lubec are set to open miles of trails and shoreline to visitors soon. I feel like I am in Sweden, she said, affecting a Scandinavian lilt. Outdoor adventures abound at Cobscook Shores, so come prepared to be amazed at one of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet. Explore the trails and structures here and youll begin to get a real good sense of the extraordinary level of detail that has gone into every aspect of this monumental project. Don't have a commenting profile? Some meander along grass out to overlooks, while the trails on Red Point island, which is only accessible at low tide, offer rougher and steeper trails every one leading to a panoramic view of the bay. Expect to carry-in and carry-out any provisions. Some water trails are suitable only for experienced paddlers and require caution where the hazardous tidal water from the 23-foot Downeast tides is strong or fast. Along the state highway connecting Red Point, Old Farm Point, and Lubec, the Maine Department of Transportation plans to pave a bike lane, seeded with BCF funds. The new Downeast parkland offers 8 miles of biking and walking trails as well as several hand-carry boat launches. It was on such an excursion some 30 years ago that Butler fell in love with Cobscook Bay, a wildlife-rich estuary as far Down East as it gets, with a mazy etch-a-sketch of a shoreline, 24-foot tides that leave a third of the bay exposed at low ebb, and shockingly little development compared to the rest of Maines coast. There are more miles in the works, too. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Might that change one day? Paddle Trails: Two paddle-up access points (high tide only) from South Bay at the . Working closely with Argentinas National Parks Administration and a distinguished local NGO, Banco de Bosques, BCI sees significant potential to develop the infrastructure that will allow more people to experience this spectacular wilderness. Cobscook Shores is a family-funded Maine charitable organization that is part of Butler Conservation, Inc. (BCI). He wants these places to be beautiful. Here, where powerful 25-foot tides keep the waters racing in and out, distributing nutrients, eagles, scallops and phytoplankton thrive. So where the hell are the people? Polstein would scout a stretch of river that Thursday. Shorefront Access: 11,300 ft. We can buy a relatively small piece but gain the leverage of having other conserved properties around us, said Carl Carlson, director of parklands for the Butler Conservation Fund, which supports environmental projects worldwide. Advertisement In fact, the foundation is already. Penobscot River Trails is free to all. The more dangerous water routes are marked on maps with swirling arrows. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. The narrow footpath of soft needles winds through woods heady with the scent of spruce. The group was left standing in the swamp, unsure of what to do. In a similar vein, said Carlson, our outdoor education program is for introducing conservationists-of-the-future to the out-of-doors. Begun in New York, the program was extended to schools near Butlers first Maine preserve, Penobscot River Trails, which opened in 2019, and now is offered to Whiting, Trescott, and Lubec schools each spring. Covering almost 300,000 acres on the Chilean border, it embraces an interlocking series of wild landscapes, ranging from arid steppes to blue glacial rivers and lakes, all set in a natural amphitheater of mountains and glaciers and rich in wildlife including rare mammals, Andean condors, and a great variety of migratory waterfowl. The group split up after that, with Butler and much of his staff tending to business elsewhere. Butler doesnt want to promote automobile tourism. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. These, together with Maine, East Africa, and the British Columbian/Southeast Alaskan coast, are what BCF calls its legacy geographies places special to Butler, where he loves to paddle and has long focused his giving. Beach is the founder and director emeritus of South Carolinas Coastal Conservation League, one of the countrys most successful regional environmental groups. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Enter your email and password to access comments. Were in the business of buying scenery. Enjoy miles of undeveloped beaches, bluffs, coves, and islands away from roads and automobiles. Hiking in Maine: Exploring Cobscook Shores in far Downeast Maine, Senate bill seeks to improve access to Katahdin Woods and Waters, Crew of Backstabber wins Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza again, Suspect in Westbrook slayings had expressed desire to kill innocent people years earlier, Celebrities bring their golf game to southern Maine for charity event, Maine House narrowly votes to expand abortion access, These 4 asylum seekers spent months sleeping on the streets of Portland, Accused Westbrook shooter made online threats hours before double homicide. #ada-button-frame { He also took my notebook and recorder off the table and handed them to a staffer (I cant talk that way, he said), which I appreciated less. Cobscook Shores set to open 14 parks in Lubec this summer, Dollar General facing millions of dollars in fines, Rhode Island man facing charges after incident at border crossing in Houlton. The remoteness of this beautiful area has protected it. The parklands do not charge a fee to visitors. It means a lot to him.. Will greater public access spoil it? If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. In addition to the spectacular paddling opportunities, this will open the door to an extensive riverside trail system. Timko Behavioral Healthcare. When were working in Patagonia, its a long way to anything. When she died 14 years later, she willed her private island to the park with the stipulation it allow no trails, facilities, picnic sites, or other forms of public recreation. Beach, an avid birder, pointed out kingfishers and ospreys, and he told stories of paddling in Alaska and biking Acadia National Parks Cadillac Mountain with Butler, who is two decades his senior. The main trail at the central Red Point preserve off Route 189 has a stone-dust carriage-style path down to more rugged woods trails. 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