An Aroostook County group has taken early steps to try to preserve a Presque Isle ski area that once hosted biathletes from all over the world.
Friends of the Nordic Heritage Center, founded in November, is forming a fundraising committee to try to buy the 750-acre former Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center.
The center hosted international biathlons, local school meets, year-round trail activities and more until December 2024 when the property’s owners, the Libra Foundation of Portland and Pineland Farms of New Gloucester, closed the facility and listed it for sale at $2.9 million. If the local group can buy the center and devise an operation plan, it could revive an all-season recreation hub and boost tourism potential for Presque Isle and the surrounding region.
More than 100 people attended a meeting last week in Presque Isle to discuss options for acquiring the property.
“We had over 100 attendees — half in person and half via Zoom — which I thought was excellent,” group member Chris Condon said Monday. “It sends a clear message as to how much the community appreciates NHOC.”
The Maine Winter Sports Center built the facility with funds from the Libra Foundation, opening it in 2002. Libra continued to pay for its operation, while Pineland Farms owned the property and volunteers managed it.
The venue hosted the International Biathlon Union Youth/Junior World Championships in 2014 and an International Biathlon Union World Cup contest in 2016, drawing athletes from 32 countries.
The Presque Isle Recreation and Parks Department took over the facility’s management in 2021.
Libra announced on Nov. 12, 2024, it was ending the agreement with the city and would close the center, and that Pineland would seek other uses for the property. Friends of the Nordic Heritage Center formed through social media just after the announcement, garnering 400 followers within days.
Just a week after Libra announced the Presque Isle closure, it transferred ownership of the Fort Kent Outdoor Center to the team that managed that venue. Fort Kent had strong leadership and a plan, but Presque Isle did not, Libra Executive Vice President Erik Hayward said in November.
People reacted with a lot of interest and emotion when the closure was announced, Condon said.
The center racked up more than 13,000 visits per year, was a recruitment draw for businesses and an asset for residents, Condon and group leaders said in a presentation Thursday.
With roughly 12 miles of Nordic trails and 20 miles of hiking and biking trails, the venue hosted 19 annual trail festivals and state championship school ski meets. Its grounds and lodge drew weddings, craft beer festivals, recreation department field trips, weekly group mountain bike rides and more.
Libra would prefer to sell all the grounds and buildings together, group members said. Of the 750 acres of property, 350 fall under Maine conservation easement restrictions through 2047.
Conservation easements restrict future use of a property, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. For instance, easements can keep a property from development or limit its use in order to protect its natural resources or scenic value.
Friends of the Nordic Heritage Center will next form a board of directors and have the fundraising group investigate purchasing the property, Condon said. It plans to look at grant possibilities, as well as corporate and individual giving as funding sources.
It’s a big goal: the group would need to raise the $2.9 million to buy the venue and another $1 million to $2 million to operate it, since maintaining the center could cost up to $175,000 a year.
The considerable community response has shown there’s a desire to preserve the recreation area, Condon said.
“At the same time, we have entered into a conversation with Trust for Public Lands, which is a national organization that raises money to protect public land,” he said. “We are excited and hopeful that we can keep this valuable asset in the community and accessible for generations to come.”
