Creating the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
Join a conversation with Lucas St. Clair, whose family foundation made the gift of 89,000 acres that helped the National Park Service form a new unit in Maine. Given the executive order to review national monuments, what's next for Katahdin Woods & Waters?
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The designation of the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument in August 2016 marked the culmination of many years of work by advocates for a new national park in Maine. In this program, you will learn how Lucas St. Clair, President of Elliotsville Plantation, and supporters argued that the new monument would not only preserve 87,563 acres of valuable wilderness, but would also being economic opportunities through eco-tourism & federal investment.
Lucas St. Clair was born and raised into a subsistence living family in the North Woods of Maine, with no running water or electricity for most of his childhood. He left that lifestyle to attend a boarding school in the Western Mountains of Maine and went on to study abroad, pursuing a Culinary Arts degree at Le Cordon Bleu in London. Lucas worked in the beginning of his career in the restaurant and wine industry in New York City, Maine, and Seattle.
In 2011, Lucas took over his familys operating foundation, Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. (EPI). EPI owns 125,000 acres of timberland in Northern and central Maine that they have been purchasing since 1998. They have been managing the land and adding infrastructure for recreation over the last several years. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, President Barack Obama accepted the gift of 89,000 acres of land from EPI and created the newest unit of the National Park Service, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument on Aug 24th, 2016. Lucas and EPI continue to play a role in the development of the region and enhancing the communitys ability to capitalize on the newly realized asset.
Beyond the restaurant industry and land conservation, Lucas has a strong interest in outdoor pursuits. He has hiked the Appalachian Trail, paddled the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, taken a NOLS semester in Patagonia and has climbed peaks in Alaska, Washington, Peru, Chile and Argentina. He has also worked as a fly fishing guide and helped Eddie Bauer with designing fishing apparel. He has had the great fortune to fish in some of the most beautiful waters in the world.
Lucas lives in Portland, Maine with his wife and two children.