It’s a Maine Thing - Hezzy’s Sidewalk Talk

Maine Island Trail Association

Stewardship and Conservation on the Maine Coast

Maine has an abundance of amazing organizations that set examples for all us in regards to being stewards for the land, the sea and helping others. These groups quietly go about doing their business accomplishing what seem to be insurmountable goals, all for the public good. One of these such groups is the Maine Island Trail Association. Celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, the MITA has developed the most extensive water trail system in North America, which extends from Casco Bay to Machias Bay, into the Canadian Maritimes.

The trail is entirely made up of a series of over 150 islands and coastal properties along the Maine coast that provide public access for recreational use. Over the years since the MITA was formed, agreements have painstakingly been put in place with private landowners, towns and the state and federal government by the Maine Island Trail Association. The organization has established a system for use based on honor and respect of these coastal gems by adopting the philosophy, Leave No Trace, Outdoor Ethics. Divided into six geographic regions along the coast, the sites along the trail are accessed primarily by water by small boats and kayaks. Some of the sites on the trail are owned by the state or federal government making them available to anyone who chooses to use them, however the privately owned sites are accessible only to MITA members. Originally established as a chain of sites along the Maine coast that would be used primarily by small boat enthusiasts and sea kayakers, increasingly, the trail has become popular with cruising sailors exploring the charm, mystery and unspoiled beauty of the Coast of Maine. While traditional cruising guides are an important resource for cruising sailors, membership to the Maine Island Trail Association provides a handbook which is a valuable asset for gunholing sailors hellbent on exploring the coastline while experiencing our Maine island treasures by staying clear of popular, busy harbors.

The organization is funded entirely through membership dues. The thousands of members nationally who join the Maine Island Trail Association are showing support towards the preservation and conservation of the Maine coast, on both islands and the waterfront. Members receive the handbook, The Stewardship Handbook and Guidebook, which is loaded with information about sites, low-impact techniques, Leave No Trace Behind Ethics, small-boating tips and the Maine coast, environment and history. The Island Trail is the newsletter that is published regularly by the MITA and keeps members up to date with all of the organization’s goings-on, volunteer opportunities and community activities. The MITA is always looking for volunteers, especially as the summer season approaches. This is a great opportunity to be on the water, help with spring clean-up on outlying islands and be a part of your outdoor world.

David Getchell, the visionary who created this marvelous system along with the original cast of characters that included the well-respected sailor Hank Taft, author of the respected and popular Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast, should go down in annals of Maine maritime history for their wisdom and foresight for spawning such a marvelous public resource. Join today and show your support towards the preservation and conservation of Maine’s coastal islands. Be a local hero. Sailors, boaters….Looking for a useful and practical cruising guide to the Maine coast? Buy James Bildner’s, Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast.Photo Courtesy of Maine Island Trail Association