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Trust for Public Land seeks county "No-Objection" for 1,800-acre Appalachian Trail conservation sale
Summary
The Trust for Public Land told Somerset County commissioners it plans to buy about 1,800 acres from Weyerhaeuser for roughly $2.5 million and transfer the parcel to the National Park Service; the board raised concerns about lost tax revenue and hunting access and asked TPL for more information before deciding.
The Trust for Public Land asked the Somerset County Commissioners to issue a county "No-Objection" letter for a proposed purchase and transfer of land along the Appalachian Trail near Caratunk. Project Manager Lynnette Batt said TPL plans to buy the parcel from Weyerhaeuser for approximately $2.5 million and ultimately transfer control to the National Park Service, and that the parcel is about 1,800 acres.
Batt told the board the county could lose roughly $3,000 in annual tax revenue because much of the acreage is in Tree Growth, and she said a primary goal is to secure an easement for existing ATV and snowmobile trails that cross the Appalachian Trail. Ed Clark, Superintendent with the National Park Service (joining by Zoom), told the commissioners that "hunting is not allowed on National Park land." Commissioners weighed the trade-offs: Alsop and Sezak expressed no objection in a straw poll while Johnson, Stetkis and Seekins were opposed. TPL and the National Park Service asked for a quick decision because the application window was imminent; the commissioners asked Batt to return with additional information rather than make a decision on short notice.
