An Evening of Community Connection
High Peaks Alliance joined the Rangeley Guides’ and Sportsmen’s Association’s monthly potluck dinner to share updates on projects advancing public access, conservation, and outdoor recreation across Maine’s High Peaks region. Amanda Laliberte, HPA’s Director of Engagement, outlined the Alliance’s work to keep the High Peaks wild and open to traditional use.
Local Projects
Laliberte shared updates on several newly conserved places that are expanding public access across the region. At Bemis, HPA worked to reopen the road, a familiar route for many in the Rangeley Lakes Region. Bemis Track provides access to Angel Falls, rock climbing in Ten Degree, ATVing, the Appalachian Trail, and allows for hunting access.
She also highlighted Walrath Woods in Strong, where a reestablished trail is bringing visitors back into the property. At Mosher Hill Falls (Kinney Family Forest) in Farmington, the newly conserved land protects a beloved waterfall and creates lasting opportunities for the public to enjoy it. Together, these projects show how conservation can protect important places while keeping them open for people to use and enjoy.
Regional Collaboration
HPA works with partners through the High Peaks Initiative, a collaboration of local, regional, and national organizations. The Initiative brings together groups, businesses, agencies, and nonprofits that care about the future of Maine’s High Peaks region. Together, they support land conservation, trail development, responsible stewardship, and outdoor recreation.
Regional Collaboration
HPA works with partners through the High Peaks Initiative, a collaboration of local, regional, and national organizations. The Initiative brings together groups, businesses, agencies, and nonprofits that care about the future of Maine’s High Peaks region. Together, they support land conservation, trail development, responsible stewardship, and outdoor recreation.
HPA also shared the Initiative’s State of the High Peaks reports and Regional Action Plan, which provide a foundation for this work. Part 1 maps and documents the region’s trails, parking areas, lodging, conserved lands, and other recreation resources. Part 2 builds on that information by identifying conservation and recreation priorities with input from communities, agencies, and recreation groups. The Regional Action Plan turns those findings into shared priorities for stewardship, access, conservation, and future investment. All three publications are available to download via the link below.
Bald Mountain Glade Project Featured
The evening also included a presentation by Katelin Nickerson, Vice President of Granite Backcountry Alliance, on the Bald Mountain Glade Project. The project reflects the value of partnership in creating new backcountry skiing opportunities while respecting the landscape and the people who use it.
“Gatherings like the RRGSA potluck are a meaningful opportunity to share updates, listen to local perspectives, and celebrate the outdoor traditions that connect this community,” said Laliberte. “We are grateful for the warm welcome and for RRGSA’s longstanding commitment to the region.”
