There is still a little time left to protect some of the three million acres in Maine dumped on the market by paper and timber companies. The local businesses told King that their livelihoods depend on the environmental health of these lands. Some combination of private and government money is needed to protect the best of this acreage before it is subdivided or logged.
Large tracts are on the market in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, as well.
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt denounced the plans, and DuPont created an advisory panel. It would focus on the qualities of this rare ecosystem, located on the Georgia-Florida border, and on local Native American history. To make this plan a reality, funds must be found, from the government and private sources, to reimburse DuPont and others with a financial stake. The next meeting is November 12. Tuesday's voting may tell us.