Our vision is focused on the future. Last Saturday, the board of directors of the High Peaks Alliance met on top of a hill looking across the heart of the High Peaks. Our meeting worked through the business of our many active projects, but the main purpose was to look forward to our next few years. I am writing you to share our overarching approach. By the end of this year, we will be publishing the second phase of the State of the High Peaks and our three-year strategy.
High Peaks Alliance embraces its identity as a steward of the High Peaks Region, a place of unmatched beauty, natural resources, and access. A landscape where you are welcomed to explore in-town trails, as well as backcountry recreation areas that call to the wildest parts of your soul. This organization is supported by people who understand that this landscape is precious and worth saving for every generation to come.
From its inception in 2007, High Peaks Alliance has created a community around the idea that everyone should always have access to nature. In the past few decades, changes in land ownership, the local economy, and climate have created increased fragmentation of our wild areas and loss of public access. Our Mission is to ensure and enhance access and recreational opportunities in the High Peaks Region of Maine. We are focused on not only improving existing access but also on building new access while permanently conserving the wild character of the region.
As our board and staff look ahead to the next three years, our passion and enthusiasm for our mission remain strong and focused.
- We will focus on conserving land and access in this 1.3-million-acre region; prioritizing projects based on the last two years of extensive surveying and identifying community needs.
- We will work to improve existing access and create new opportunities to get outside through well-thought-out plans for exemplary land management and trail stewardship.
- We will ensure that the High Peaks Alliance’s financial and organizational capacity continues to grow and strengthen.
Over the last two years, we have pioneered new data, mapping over 1,700 miles of trails and surveying over 130 locations, to prioritize the most important assets. Only 13% of our service area has any guarantee of public access; this is why our goal is to conserve more access while ensuring the resources that we do have are well cared for.
Sincerely,
Brent West
Executive Director
If you would like to support conservation and access in the High Peaks of Western Maine, consider making a one-time or monthly donation. You can also support our organization by joining our email newsletter and keeping in touch with us on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
