SUN JOURNAL • May 17, 2023
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is holding a public listening session and workshop Thursday on the concept of a National Wildlife Refuge in the High Peaks Region of western Maine. The session will run from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the University of Maine at Farmington. The High Peaks region includes 10 of Maine’s 14 highest summits with the “largest cluster of peaks over 4,000 feet in the state.” Information will be gathered on conservation, recreation and economic opportunities. A similar session was held in Rangeley on Tuesday. Franklin County commissioners voted 2-0-1 on Tuesday to not support the proposal for reasons including taking more land off the tax rolls. The region supports Maine’s $2.8 billion outdoor economy.