There's a lot going on in our north woods these days, much of which you never hear about.

For example: Did you know that there were "area sportsmen and residents who could not access snowmobile trails, a sportsmen´s hunting camp, or bring wood off their own properties," until a land swap deal was reached recently between a local logger and preservationist Roxanne Quimby of Burt's Bees fame?

I didn't.

The deal swaps a 14,000 acre parcel for another 10,000 acre parcel that Quimby had her eye on for preservation as she works to buy up land around Baxter State Park in hopes of a future national park coming to the region.

The deal again allows local people access to their own lands for traditional uses.

Thank goodness.

You know, I'm all for conservation, and there's a great deal of it going on in Maine's north woods. And the beautiful thing about most of the conservation deals that have been made lately is that they not only protect the land but they continue to allow access for traditional uses.

Believe it or not, good forestry can co-exist with trails; snowmobilers can co-exist with skiers; and so on. Not everywhere in every place certainly, but you get the idea.

I applaud Quimby's efforts to protect land from development, but I just can't abide with locking up large tracts of land and denying access to traditional uses and users.

Clearly, if you have the money--and Quimby does--you can do it. And she has as much right as any private landowner to do with her land as she wishes, within the bounds of the law.

But we have a long and proud history of mixed use of Maine's vast forestlands, and I sure hope the predominance of that line of thinking continues.

Incredibly, over the years, I've heard many people grumble about having to pay to access the North Maine Woods, to use the roads and stay at campsites.

We don't know how good we have it.

You want access problems, even more restricted use, and higher fees?

You'll get them with a national park.