ELLIOTSVILLE TOWNSHIP, Maine — Elliotsville Plantation Inc., which is owned by philanthropist Roxanne Quimby, announced Monday it is withdrawing its proposal to decommission Wilson Stream Pond Road.
Wilson Stream Pond Road is a .77-mile dirt road that leads to Little Wilson Falls, and a trail leads from there to the upper falls. The road has also been known as Campground Road, Wilson Road and Little Wilson Road.
“The gate to upper and lower Little Wilson Falls will remain open and the road will continue to be accessible to the public,” Lucas St. Clair, president of the Elliotsville Plantation Inc. board of directors, said in a statement Monday. “As we continue to evaluate the possibilities for the future of our property, we are committed to working collaboratively with local government officials and other stakeholders to increase access for outdoor recreation while protecting Maine’s natural resources so future generations enjoy them just as we have.”
Last year, Quimby erected a gate on the road to prevent motorized vehicle access. The gate was vandalized in November. It was discovered in February that the road was still owned by Piscataquis County.
In a 2-1 vote on Aug. 7, the Piscataquis County commissioners took the first step in transferring ownership of the road to Elliotsville Plantation Inc. The road would have remained a permanent public recreation easement, which restricts motorized vehicles but would allow walking and biking.
As part of that agreement, Elliotsville Plantation Inc. would have donated a half-acre plot to be paved as a parking area at the beginning of the road, and the trail leading up to upper Little Wilson Falls would have been improved.
That agreement will likely be vacated, said Tom Lizotte, chairman of the commissioners.
“This is good news for members of the public who access this site,” Lizotte said in a telephone interview Monday.
To nullify the agreement, the commissioners must vote to discontinue the decommissioning process. That vote will likely happen Tuesday morning during the commissioners’ scheduled meeting, said Lizotte.
A news release issued Monday by Elliotsville Plantation Inc. stated that the proposal to decommission the road was no longer needed.
“This summer, the overwhelming use of the road has been for parking to hike to the upper Falls, with few problems at the site,” read the statement.
Lizotte said the gate was erected last year due to problems at the site involving illegal camping, camp fires, drinking and litter. Although the road is county-controlled, the parking area at the end is private property.
“Over the summer, [Elliotsville Plantation Inc.] monitored use of the land,” said Lizotte. “Misuse has been decreasing. Overall, use of the road was to park and hike to the upper falls. As a result of that, there’s no need to discontinue the road.”
The commissioners received a petition on Sept. 4 that was signed by 350 people asking that the gate not return to the road, said Lizotte.
He said future issues with the road could be avoided if people using the site respected the fact that it’s private property.
“If the public continues to be respectful while using the property, there should not be an issue going forward,” said Lizotte.
Open or closed what’s it going to be?? This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, don’t be fooled..
I find it hilarious that they’re worried about “increasing access”, meanwhile they put in a gate and tell basically everyone to get lost. The land beyond that gate used to see recreation year round from campers, hikers, sportsmen, and heaven forbid snowmobile and atv riders. Sorry Roxanne, trying to save the land from the people that were using it in the first place just makes you look stupid.
The only ones who look stupid are people who throw out vulgar insults. It makes Quimby look good and those who are opposed to her look like an unruly gang.
vulgar insults????
she has no right to gate of a road that is the only access to other people land. No vulgar insults just say . I don’t know if you are from monson or up there at all but i grew up there and know the road well . Quimby would not look good in this anyway you look at it. Oh and if you don’t like the fact that other need to use the road to get there you to can go back to mass with her.
Hey dweller, NO PARK FOR YOU!
I still don’t understand why the commissioners don’t take 600 feet from the stream back accrossed the road all the way to the falls by enamant domain thus insuring that Mrs. Quimby’s wishes will be met and the public and citizens of Elliotsville will always have access to this spot and it will always be protected from development and the Elliotsville Plantation Corp. won’t have to be troubled with montering the use of the land They will have just as much right to use the road as everyone else and get a little money for the land that is taken to boot.
There are rules for Enamant domain.
Thats great.
roxanne you don’t have to put on the red light
She can make all the claims she wants but even RQ saw the writing on the wall when the true ownership of the road was found out. And that the road is going to remain open is right along with it. Too many area’s are getting closed or turned into some kind of ‘type person’s ONLY’ area’s. Those of you who can remember back to the days in the South of XXXX ONLY can, and should, remember those. Does Maine really need that or are we really gonna be a State that actually does what it says at the State line , “Maine, Life as it should be”.
I’m not a fan of RQ’s by any means, and I understand that this specific issue is in regard to who owns the access road, but I can’t blame her for limiting access to the property she does own due to vandalism, dumping of trash, etc. Not having been to this particular spot, and not knowing how legitimate these claims are, I am still a big defender of private property rights, and it’s her right to limit/take away access (on the land she owns) if people can’t respect it.
And, shockingly, people get “upset” with her and think criminal mischief is the same thing as justice.
Bingo. Not everyone respects the land. I have never posted/restricted my property but that is because there hasn’t been any littering or vandalism. Lucky I quess. If some hahoos decide to polute and rip up the land I may reconsider. RQ has the right to do whatever she wants w/the land she owns. I don’t live near her land so I have no clue about the local politics. I just know I’d rather live near a state/national park than a housing project or casino.
plenty of property for sale in Patten and Stacyville, right on the edge of her “national park’ good luck trying to make a living if it goes thru
“Philanthropist” Roxanne Quimby ?
Just who are you trying to fool, BDN ?
Makes one wonder what Roxy and the “boy” are up to. Not good i bet.
No mystery there.
She and her merry band of enviroterrorists want to lock up the entire north woods in order to establish their primitive playground for the elitists that support them.
The rural cleansing of Maine continues.
When can we expect the gates to be flung open on the Valley Lands east of Baxter State Park that Quimby bought from Gardiner since she’s saying she wants to “increase access for outdoor recreation”? There’s no reason why the public can’t be allowed on the well graded safe roads up there. The public is being kept out just for spite.
Unfortunately,most of “the public’ are ill behaved idiots who think that they are the only ones on earth,and its someone elses job to pick up their trash.10 years w/the Bureau if Public Lands taught me that most of “the public’ wants to misbehave,and then have someone else deal with the repercussions. Im not sure why there is so much animosity towards Ms Quimby,but I have a feeling that if she were a man,or a shapley blond bimbo,her praises would be sung in a different tune.BOTTOM LINE>>>its HER land folks.
Maybe it’s because she:
*lies
*threatens
*blackmails
*burns down people’s homes
*calls us fat stupid old welfare cases,,, and then wonders why people in Northern Maine HATE HER
“Im not sure why there is so much animosity towards Ms Quimby”. Not sure, do your homework! What is it about giving her land to the U S Government don’t you people understand???
What is it about ITS HER LAND that you don’t understand.
Not all the public is being kept out of that area.
It was repaorted recently that a certain former executive director of a fairly large sportsman association from Maine was in there schmoozing with Roxanne and some of her friends, cavorting around on one of those dirty, smelly ATVs, riding to all the good fishing holes along the river.
Cha-ching!
This woman is far more generous than I. I would have closed my land to all of the non-landowning mooches a long time ago.
This was a right of way. She has already closed her land.
Bangorian, get a clue. I am a landowner in Elliottsville Township. We pay more taxes on 7 acres of land then she does on her thousands, because she has it in tree growth and doesn’t actually plan to use it that way. Get off your high horse.
Romney paid less income tax then I did but made a lot more, your point?
Too bad the FACTS can not back up your mindless post.
His income tax rate was like 14% right? I paid near 20%. So how about those FACTS, boom roasted! http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/21/pf/taxes/romney-tax-return/index.html
“Romney paid less income tax then I did but made a lot more,…”
So you paid more than $2 million in taxes on a lower income. Did you give $4 million to charity? How much did you pay in capitol gains taxes? Which, by the way, is investment money that has already been taxed once.
Yes it paid more, but I had more of my income got to the tax man. Also, my company is tax on the money it earns, which then it uses that money to pay me, sooo.. isn’t all money taxed atleast once? For the whole double taxation to be really true, there income should then be declared as a percent ownership times total revenue.
Way too late for damage control Roxanne- You have hurt, angered and insulted way too many to ever think to get them to change their minds about your self-immortalized national park. Between what you have done and the caustic environment your abrasive minions have created, there will never be a national park…!
Don’t leave Maine angry Roxanne, just leave,,, and take your mass____ friends & Bubba with you…!
My property has always been open for hunting and fishing, The downeast property is left open to the clamers ..
Yet she enjoys the esquire style reporting because any news is OK to her. Never be forgotten.
Would you consider limiting access to your property if users were leaving behind garbage and destroying the land? I don’t post property as well but if this were to happen I’d likely change my mind. She owns the land and can do with it what she wants. Again, I’d much rather live next to a park than a housing project or casinso.
I’m not a Roxanne Quimby fan, but on the otherhand i love the oput of doors and when i go places and i see trash and stuff littering i get really mad, even a cigerrette butt makes me ugly. if everyone had the decency to pack out what they pack in anywhere they go, i bet we would’nt have half the trouble we have with people. in mud season stay out of the mud, dont think it’s ok to rut up a place because you have a bad four wheeler or a big bad four wheel drive truck. It’s going to take policing ourselves anywhere we go to try and stop all that. Then maybe then we can have better relations with land owners.
Itll never happen.People cant even pick up their dog doo in public parks.heck,they cant even adhere to the leash law in a public park. From what I can see.folks are basicly angry because Roxanne is saying that people can use her land,but only according to her rules.Seems logical to me,since common sense is mostly a thing of the past.
Must remain in the news lest be forgotton