Backcountry Maine airfield reopens

A new deal between the Recreational Aviation Foundation and The Nature Conservancy has led to the re-opening of the Red Pine airfield, a remote airstrip in Maine.

Under the agreement, RAF volunteers will manage the recreational use of the airfield, which is in St John’s River Forest in northern Maine. Volunteers have already put in the work to return the airstrip to a safe condition for backcountry use, RAF officials noted.

The 2,470-foot paved airfield lies along the St. John — or Wolastoq — River, just a dozen miles from Quebec. It was originally built by the International Paper Company as a facility for forest management.

The Nature Conservancy has owned the St. John River Forest since 1998, and manages the property to conserve biodiversity, provide wildlife habitat, and produce forest products. Most of the surrounding forest is privately owned and continues to be managed for timber harvest, officials explained.

The efforts to open the airfield to general aviation pilots began more than a decade ago.

In September 2009, John Nadeau of Massachusetts — the RAF’s first volunteer east of the Mississippi — starting talking about it with officials at The Nature Conservancy’s Maine Field office. He requested the restoration and maintenance of the airfield by volunteers, noting, “This airstrip is a wonderful resource for access to the area for forest management and fire suppression in addition to recreational flying.”

RAF Maine Liaisons Andy Rowe and Steve Mason, and RAF supporter John Sowles recently re-ignited discussions with The Nature Conservancy, which have resulted in the agreement, RAF officials report.

The agreement states that RAF is responsible for the airfield and aircraft parking area at the northern end. Pilots and all visitors to Red Pine will be obligated to pay day-use and camping recreational fees to North Maine Woods, an organization that manages public access and maintains recreational facilities throughout the northern part of the state.

This is the second agreement the RAF has with The Nature Conservancy. In 2014, the two organizations cooperated to build a new airfield above the King’s River in the Ozarks of Arkansas called Trigger Gap.

For information on Red Pine, see the Airfield Guide.