Upper Kennebec Region - Management Plan

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) has adopted a 15-year management plan for approximately 43,300 acres of lands known as the Upper Kennebec Region. The region roughly encompasses the area between the town of Bingham and Wyman lake, north along the Old Canada Road (US 201) to the Canadian border, and eastward from Jackman to encompass Long Pond and westward to the Canadian border, in Somerset and Franklin Counties. This plan will guide the Bureau’s management of the Holeb, Cold Stream Forest, and Sandy Bay Public Lands, as well as other Bureau fee and easement lands on and to the east and west of the US 201 corridor.

The Upper Kennebec Region Plan is posted below. To read these files, you will need a copy of the free Adobe Reader software.

The Public Planning Process

A public scoping meeting was held October 19, 2016 in Bingham, where the public had an opportunity to provide input on the region’s resources, and on issues and concerns related to management and use of the Public Lands to be addressed in the Plan. The meeting notes and subsequent comments are available below under the Past Meetings & Minutes section.

An Advisory Committee (AC) has been was formed and is comprised of individuals who know the resources of the area or can provide specific guidance on the needs and desires of certain user groups. AC meetings were held in November 2016 and June 2018 to further discuss management issues and to review a Plan draft prepared by BPL staff. AC meeting notes and subsequent comments are available below under the Past Meetings & Minutes section.

BPL staff prepared a Final Draft Plan for review, which reflected the contributions of the committee members made at the scoping and AC meetings and in writing, as well as the contributions of a number of specialists and field staff within the Department. A public meeting was held in Bingham on February 7, 2019. At the public meeting, the Bureau discussed the resource allocations and management recommendations contained in the Plan, which provides general management guidance for the Region for the next 15 years. Meeting minutes are available below. Comments were accepted for 3 weeks after the meeting; one written comment was received.

Public Meetings

No meetings currently scheduled.
Date and Time Headline Location Additional Information

Past Public Meetings & Minutes

2-7-19 – An Upper Kennebec Region public meeting was held at the Quimby School Gym, Bingham from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 2-7-19 Meeting Notes (PDF 1.1MB)

6-20-18 - An Upper Kennebec Region Advisory Committee meeting was held at the Quimby School Gym, Bingham from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. 6-20-18 Meeting Notes (PDF 2MB)

11-17-16 – An Upper Kennebec Region Advisory Committee meeting was held at the Quimby School Gym, Bingham from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. 11-17-16 Meeting Notes (PDF 188KB)

10-19-16 – An Upper Kennebec Region public scoping meeting was held at the Quimby School Gym, Bingham from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 10-19-16 Meeting Notes and summary of subsequent written comments (PDF 95KB)

Management Plan Documents

For more information

Jim Vogel
Senior Planner
Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 287-2163