The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is pleased to announce that is has received funding from the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation through the Community Recreation Assistance Recovery (CORA) Program. This is funded through the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation State Grant.

The High Peaks Initiative (HPI) is a collaborative of local, regional, and national organizations working in Maine’s High Peaks region. HPI’s Mission is to protect important natural resources, secure public access, and support healthy human and natural communities in Maine’s High Peaks. With this funding, HPI will Development a long range collaborative strategic action plan for the diverse recreational sectors that support the nature based tourism economy of Maine’s High Peaks region – hiking, biking, paddling, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, wildlife observation, snowshoeing, and ATV riding. The development of a strategic action plan will go hand-in-hand with plans for specific trails and areas which need attention – places where access has been closed off or is uncertain, areas where trails need to be rerouted or upgraded, areas that need to be conserved, and infrastructure that needs to be installed.

The long-term vision for the High Peaks region will be shaped with the input of numerous stakeholders and conservation organizations. We are pleased to be working with the Office of Outdoor Recreation to get this work done for Maine!