By The Associated Press
Portland Press Herald news story
BANGOR — A group of more than 200 Maine business owners say they support the creation of a national park and recreation area on 150,000 acres east of Baxter State Park.
The businesses sent letters to Maine’s congressional delegation on Thursday urging support for the project. They also released a plan they say sets a “conceptual framework” for the project. Most of the businesses are in the Bangor and Katahdin areas.
Supporters of the national park plan say it would include recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, fishing and horseback riding. They say the recreational area would protect hunting access.
Opponents of the proposal have criticized it for a number of reasons, including perceived loss of recreational access and a reluctance to turn land over to the National Park Service.
