Katahdin Lake and the surrounding 4,000 acres are now part of Baxter State Park. And an adjoining 2,000 is now under Maine Department of Conservation management.

Although it was a heated debate, it was a healthy one. And the result is that the Gov inked the bill yesterday. Done deal.

I think we all benefit with this compromise solution. A stunningly beautiful piece of land coveted by Percival Baxter himself has now been brought into the park fold some 30-odd years after his death.

The Katahdin Lake parcel will be closed to hunting and motorized recreational uses. But the state-owned piece will continue to support these traditional uses, something many of us wanted to see.

Could we have done better? Probably not. It's a reasonable win-win in my book.

Now I'm looking forward to getting up to Katahdin Lake, throwing on a backpack and exploring some new backcountry turf, and getting a different angle on the mountain we all love so much.