This area has been under siege for many years by the Nature Conservancy and their friends. They have the money to buy up the land for their use and money is what is running our government, with no regard for the people who live in those areas.

The people of Millinocket became "negative" when MAGIC brought The Wilderness Society to the area. The board of MAGIC did not care what the people thought about them taking money from The Wilderness Society, nor would they listen to the people. They were in charge and other voices didn’t matter.

Now we have two members of our council, who were part of that decision to ignore the voices of the people, deciding that this land swap might not be a good deal.

If they would have listened to what the people were saying for the last two years, Millinocket would have been better off. But instead they said that we were only being negative.

If you hunt, have a business that is based on hunting and fishing, or in danger of losing your lease due to the organizations that are opposed to hunting, would you hold a negative opinion about any of those organizations,such as the Wilderness Society, which MAGIC brought to our area for their own ends.

How many people nationwide have lost their land or jobs due to these organizations? Too many; and the Nature Conservancy isn’t done yet. They are not the friends of the hunters, trappers, mills that need fiber for their mills, or to camp owners of land that they want. All of these people must go, so that the woods can be saved for purposes that these organizations have for it.

Jobs are lost. A way of life that has been here for many generations of people in the area is being lost. Our heritage lies with the woods, and our way of life is being destroyed, yet these organizations that want a National Park in Northern Maine do not care. Never forget that it was MAGIC who brought the Wilderness Society to our area.

When MAGIC brought The Wilderness Society to our area, they also brought the negativity that they didn’t like without thinking or caring about the people of this community.

Hunting camps are just as important as snowmobile trails. People who have camps on leased land, and have had them for generations, are also important.

Our way of life is important. Our heritage in the Maine Woods is important, and we the people of this area are very important; and we want to hunt, trap, snowmobile and want our mills to be able to operate.

When the Nature Conservancy bought up lands that the Great Northern Paper Company had owned for years and that land was taken out of harvesting, that was another big blow for our mills.

Many others have followed them and they also want a National Park, or another situation that permits no cutting of trees, no hunting, no roads and no snowmobiles. Yes, the people of Millinocket got negative when MAGIC brought The Wilderness Society in the area, but with good reason.

For two years, two members of our town council have criticized the people who didn’t want The Wilderness Society in our area. They said we were misinforming the people, and that we were telling lies; and now they don’t want a land swap that will give more land to Baxter State Park.

Why? It wouldn’t be that more land might be taken out for snowmobile trails? Are our two council members, Matt Polstein and Bruce McLean, being negative when they don’t want Baxter State Park to have more land?

We weren’t negative when we didn’t want The Wilderness Society in our area, but that is what we were called.

Protect the wildlife; protect the land and displace the people and their jobs; their heritage; that is what the Nature Conservancy and friends do and this is why they are here.

Don't forget MAGIC's part in all of this.