AUGUSTA, Maine - Timber management company Huber Resources Corp., headquartered in Old Town and a division of the J.M. Huber Corp., announced today that it is donating approximately 143 acres of land -- including about 4,000 feet of frontage along Katahdin Lake -- to Baxter State Park. 

From left to right: Commissioner William Beardsley and Doug Denico, Baxter State Park Authority Chair accept a framed photo of the donated land from Sherry Huber, Peter Triandafillou, Vice President, Huber Resources, LLC and Robert Currie, Vice President, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer of the J.M. Huber Corporation.

The announcement was made at the State House's Hall of Flags following a meeting of the Baxter State Park Authority during which members officially voted to approve the transfer. Representatives of the Huber family, the Governor's Office, Baxter State Park, and Huber Resources participated in the announcement.

"When our family was asked about donating this beautiful piece of land to the park, we agreed that this would be a remarkable gift to the people of Maine, as well as to all future visitors to Baxter State Park," Sherry Huber, family representative, said. "This is an exhilarating day for the Huber family."  

In addition to her involvement with the J.M. Huber Corp., Sherry Huber has served since 1996 as executive director of the Maine Tree Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on environmental education about the Maine forest.

The Huber parcel is located on the southeastern tip of Katahdin Lake. It was one of only two remaining privately owned tracts of land along its shores following a series of transactions in 2006 that added more than 4,000 acres around the lake to Baxter State Park.

The parcel includes the lake's outlet stream, acres of mature forest, and a sand beach offering full views of Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest mountain, located three miles across the lake.

Huber Resources has long allowed public access to the beach, a popular spot among artists and photographers. It is locally known as "Church Beach" in honor of acclaimed American landscape painter Frederick Church who visited and painted the Katahdin Lake area many times during the 19th century.

"In assembling the park, Gov. Percival Baxter relied on the good will and honest relationships he had forged with large and small forestland owners in northern Maine," said Commissioner Bill Beardsley of the Maine Department of Conservation, speaking on behalf of Gov. Paul LePage. "Without their cooperation, Baxter never could have purchased the 28 parcels he combined to create the park."

"This gift from the Huber family is an extraordinary gesture in the long tradition of stewardship and commitment to responsible land management by Maine landowners," Commissioner Beardsley noted.

While it is difficult to accurately assess the value of the land because of its remoteness, family members and corporation and State representatives alike believe the property has an intrinsic value that is immeasurable due to its unspoiled natural beauty, unique features, and extraordinary scenic view of Katahdin.

"This gift is a wonderful addition to the park and in perfect keeping with the vision of park founder and Gov. Percival Baxter," said Jensen Bissell, director of Baxter State Park. "Remaining 'Forever Wild,' this portion of the historic Keep Lot will provide back-country recreation opportunities to generations of Mainers."

The land was originally part of approximately 200 acres deeded in 1860 by the State of Maine to the Rev. Marcus Keep, a missionary and avid hiker who cleared the first trail to the top of Mt. Katahdin in 1848. It was purchased by Hans Huber, son of company founder Joseph Maria Huber, in 1944. The Huber family ultimately became one of the state's largest landowning families, at one time owning more than a half million acres.

Huber Resources manages approximately 585,000 acres in Maine for a variety of clients. The J.M. Huber Corp.'s presence in Maine also includes Huber Engineered Woods LLC, located in Easton. This subsidiary creates innovative specialty products, such as AdvanTech® subflooring and ZIP System® roof and wall sheathing, that provide builders, architects, homeowners and industrial manufacturers with improved performance, easier installation and greater strength, as well as better energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

Huber Resources has made previous gifts of environmentally significant lands to Maine. In 1976, Huber donated the Crystal Bog Preserve, which is made up of 4,000 acres of peat land in the towns of Crystal and Sherman. At more than six square miles, Crystal Bog Preserve is one of the largest sphagnum-heath bogs in the Northeast.

Also in 1976, Huber Resources donated more than 600 acres near the town of Patten, including land along the Seboeis River at Seboeis Gorge. In 1991, Huber Resources made a gift of 265 acres of wetlands called Marble Fen, featuring diverse vegetation with a large number of rare plant species.

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Baxter State Park, located in north-central Maine near the town of Millinocket, is the result of the dream of Percival P. Baxter, governor of Maine from 1921 to 1924. Baxter used his personal wealth over a 32-year period to purchase and donate the park's original 201,018 acres. Since then, the park has increased to more than 209,640 acres, including the addition of the Huber lands. There are more than 40 peaks and ridges within the park accessible via more than 215 miles of trails. Approximately 60,000 people visit the park in the summer months.

Huber Resources Corp. manages more than 700,000 acres of timberlands for clients including global conservation groups, private commercial investment firms, and individual landowners, as well as the forestland owned by the J.M. Huber Corp. itself. To increase the long-term value of timberlands, Huber Resources relies on an integrated system of responsible forestry practices including forest regeneration and sustained yield harvesting.

J.M. Huber Corp., headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, operates a portfolio of companies with a focus on its core engineered materials businesses. Founded in 1883, the diversified, multinational company creates products that are used in a broad range of consumer and industrial applications, including oral care, personal care, food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, and building materials. The J.M. Huber Corp. was founded in 1883 by Joseph Maria Huber, who came to America from Germany to expand his family's pigment business. Today, Huber is one of the largest family-owned companies in the United States. Huber has a long history of environmental stewardship, having put sound environmental practices into place more than 50 years ago, long before environmental issues were a concern for many companies.

To access high resolution, downloadable versions of the photos in this press release, click the links below. Courtesy: Huber Resources, LLC.

Huber Resources donation announcement at the State House's Hall of Flags  

Color photo of the land donation with a view of Mt. Katahdin