Maine Island Trail Association
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The Maine Island Trail Association (abbreviated MITA) is a
grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
, volunteer-run
conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...
and
preservation Preservation may refer to: Heritage and conservation * Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible * ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
group based in Portland, Maine, United States. It was co-founded by David Getchell Sr. in 1988, following a land survey, conducted by the State of Maine, of the state's uninhabited coastal islands. The survey discovered around 1,300 unclaimed geographical features, including islands and
sandbars In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It o ...
. It also manages the
Maine Island Trail The Maine Island Trail is a recreational water trail that spans the entire coast of Maine, connecting over 200 islands and mainland sites available for day visits or overnight camping. The trail is operated by the Maine Island Trail Association ...
, a recreational water trail which runs the entire coast of
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
, connecting (as of 2023) 182 island and 76 mainland sites available for day visits or overnight camping. MITA itself does not own any land; it supports land trusts and private landowners in the upkeep of its islands. On private and state-owned properties, public access is provided in exchange for MITA's caretaking. As of 2023, MITA has almost 10,000 members. Its executive director is Doug Welch, while its program director is Brian Marcaurelle.


David Getchell

MITA was co-founded by David R. Getchell Sr., a native of
Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121). Modern Bangor ...
. He died in 2018, aged 89.


See also

*
List of environmental and conservation organizations in the United States Environmental and conservation organizations in the United States have been formed to help protect the environment, habitats, flora, and fauna on federally owned land, on private land, within coastal limits, in-state conservation areas, in-state p ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maine Island Trail Association Organizations established in 1988 Nature conservation organizations based in the United States Environmental organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Maine 1988 establishments in Maine Organizations based in Portland, Maine