The group's mission is to promote the protection, enjoyment and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. It makes a strong link between successful conservation and promoting recreation and appreciation of the natural world.
Many people are familiar with the AMC's hut system in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire, which features rustic accommodations a day's hike apart along the Appalachian Trail. The club's lodging and education centers in Pinkham Notch and Crawford Notch also are widely known.
But the AMC operates several other properties, including the Mohican Outdoor Center at the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey, and a mix of campgrounds, cabins and backcountry campsites across the region.
The AMC manages and promotes its mission through 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C.
The group has 90,000 members, and roughly 4,000 live in Maine. The AMC is a financially strong organization, with an endowment totaling more than $43 million. According to its latest annual report, it has $95.6 million in net assets, the largest being investments, followed by property, land and equipment. The major liability is a $16.5 million loan associated with the Maine Woods purchase.
The club also has a $14.7 million obligation to buy 30,000 acres from Plum Creek Timberlands.
The purchase must take place within five years of Plum Creek's receiving state approval of its proposed development around Moosehead Lake. But the outlook for approval is uncertain.
Other environmental groups, notably the Natural Resources Council of Maine, oppose Plum Creek's plan. They have intervened in the review process, which is under way.
Staff writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at:
tturkel@pressherald.com
Source: Appalachian Mountain Club
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