Stretching from Jay and Farmington in the south to Eustis and Round Mountain in the north along the border with Canada, Franklin County is emblematic of the shifts happening across rural Maine. Former mill towns reinventing themselves; local organizations dedicated to serving their communities; towns emerging or sustaining themselves as outdoor recreation hubs not just for Mainers but for tourists who bring money to help bolster local economic stability, and of course stunning natural beauty!
Two years ago, NRCM hired Marc Edwards as our first-ever Regional Outreach Coordinator in Franklin County with a focus on building enduring power that will protect and strengthen Maine’s environment. Our goal was to strengthen NRCM’s legacy of partnership with people who care about the nature of Maine by focusing on listening and learning from the residents and local businesses who live and work in this important region of the state.
Marc was a natural fit, with 25 years’ experience in natural resources, including as a ranger with Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park, and a long-time resident of Strong. He has been deeply involved in the community, including serving as a local school committee member. For NRCM, outreach and organizing work has always been about building relationships over the long term. Our focus on Franklin County was a chance to continue that work with a dedicated team member who would be given the time and space to have the conversations and do the work necessary to build those relationships.
“In my early days in this position, I met with my good friend and neighbor Roger Lambert, who is well known and respected in the hunting and guiding community not only in Franklin County, but statewide,” says Marc. “I wanted to get his opinion on our work and how we can be responsive to the needs of rural Franklin County. After giving me an earful, he finished by saying, ‘That NRCM came to my house to hear what I have to say is groundbreaking!’ This really sums up my work in Franklin County.”
What we know from our more than 60 years working to protect the nature of Maine is that the best ideas often come from the everyday people who are so deeply connected to the woods, waters, or communities we all hold so dear. In a meeting NRCM hosted with local Franklin County residents in 2022, an outdoor recreation leader brought up the desperate need for investing in trails of all kinds. Out of that conversation came the idea for the Maine Trails Bond to repair damaged trails and build new, accessible trail networks.
A bird walk on Perham Stream Birding Trail, Madrid, Franklin County. Photo by MEdwards/NRCM
Earlier this year, more than 520 businesses, recreation organizations, and towns statewide joined with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to pass the Trails Bond out of the Legislature. This unique coalition brought snowmobile and ATV riders together in the same room as outdoor brands, mountain bikers, and land trusts. As a result, Maine voters overwhelmingly approved the $30 million investment in trails statewide on November’s ballot.
NRCM’s work in Franklin County has also focused on co-creating community events that bring new or existing supporters together to have shared experiences. Marc collaborated with a group of residents in Strong to revive the Sandy River Festival, a day-long celebration along the banks of the Sandy featuring inspiring talks, music, food, and fun activities. NRCM has participated in Earth Day clean-up events in Farmington. Bird walks and alpine plant hikes have brought NRCM supporters to Franklin County together with local residents to learn more about the woods and wildlife that make the region so special.
NRCM is partnering with the High Peaks Alliance, the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF), Life Enrichment Advancing People, and the Town of Farmington to plan for a Spring 2025 event that will include an all-abilities accessible walk on UMF’s new universally accessible trail along the Sandy River, followed by lunch and socializing at the Town of Farmington’s Walton’s Mill Park along Temple Stream with new universally accessible features.
Being present in a community can’t be just about asking someone to support NRCM’s work. Rather, it has to be about connecting with them with shared values. It’s about opening up a dialogue to learn what matters to them and how that may or may not align with what NRCM is considering as priorities in the coming years. “Even with some of my dear friends in Strong where I live, we don’t agree on everything, but we can still go down and have breakfast at the White Elephant and talk,” says Marc. After three years with NRCM, Marc is retiring at the end of 2024, but his energy, compassion, and thoughtfulness have provided an excellent foundation for our ongoing community-driven work to build long-lasting relationships with Mainers regardless of where they live. NRCM’s commitment to Franklin County will continue with plans to hire a new regional outreach coordinator to continue building relationships across the region. We are doubling down on this successful model by hiring a new regional outreach coordinator on the Midcoast to deepen our connection to people in Penobscot Bay communities.
“I’ve seen my work in Franklin County as being mostly listening, being respectful, and being responsive to those who care about the natural resources in Franklin County. Finding common ground has been important. I have tried to make NRCM’s work relevant to folks in my community whether they drive a Subaru or a beat-up old pickup truck, or whether they wear L.L. Bean or an old pair of Dickies work clothes,” says Marc, reflecting on his experience.
Our work together has always been about building the Maine we all deserve—a Maine with clean water, healthy forests, abundant wildlife, livable communities, and accessible outdoors for all. That’s why we’re so committed to learning from and listening to you, whatever your connection is to Maine. We’re at our best when we’re working together to protect what we love. Thank you for being on this journey with us.
Originally appeared in the 2024 Fall/Winter Maine Environment newsletter. Read the full newsletter here.
