President’s Perspective

Gino Infascelli 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;

indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

This past summer my family and I had the opportunity to visit some of our country’s treasured National Parks. The newest National Park is New River Gorge in West Virginia. The December 2020 designation for this multi-use natural area resulted from the cooperation of many entities, including local leaders, businesses, and outdoor enthusiasts. The site was already a popular destination for many outdoor activities, such as hiking, rafting, and camping. With its change in status from a Designated River to a National Park, traditions of fishing and hunting on 65,000 acres of the park will be maintained, along with extra protection for 7,000 acres along the river corridor. As the focus of local industry shifts from coal mining to recreation and conservation, the new Park is expected to boost the economy and increase visitors to the area by 20%.

With the winter solstice behind us and daylight extending each day, I am relieved by positive news on many fronts as we start a new year. I am hopeful that, by the summer solstice, our health care providers, first responders, and those who support them will be rewarded by some much-needed rest and the time off they deserve.

I am very grateful for recent snow that allows for the winter activities many of us enjoy and helps support our local economy. I relish my quiet time in the woods, snowshoeing and looking for animal tracks added since the last round of snow flurries.  It’s reassuring to know they are there.

During this last year, through the help of many volunteers some of the salvageable wooden pieces of the old board walk at Quincy Bog were repurposed to elevate other wet sections of the trail.  This recycling saved a significant amount of time and effort.

We would like to thank Bob Berti, Bob Bulkeley, and Charlie Chandler, our retiring board members, for over 50 years of combined service and dedication to protecting many lands here in the Pemi–Baker watershed that provide recreational and educational opportunities to the public.

We wish all of you a peaceful, healthy, and happy new year.