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With the passage of the National Trails System Act in 1968, the Appalachian Trail was officially designated as one of America’s first National Trails. The A.T. footpath had existed as a project since 1923 but with the passage of this law, funding and resources were committed to creating a national trails system with guaranteed public access that would be maintained, funded, and stewarded for the American people. During the decades that followed, the land under the A.T. was purchased by the National Park Service and today over 99% of the trail is on public land.

But the founding vision of the Appalachian Trail - not just a narrow trail but of a realm of nature, solitude, and the experience of wildness - had not been realized. In many places the A.T. was surrounded by National Parks like Great Smoky Mountains or National Forests like the White Mountain, but in Maine there were precious few protected areas. The trail corridor was - and still is in many locations - just a few hundred feet wide on either side of the path.

In 2002, Mainers dedicated to conservation and the Appalachian Trail worked with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Maine Appalachian Trail Club to establish the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. Through a combination of decades of A.T. management experience of ATC and the on-the-ground know-how of MATC with land conservation skills, MATLT has been able to conserve over 76,000 acres of lands around the trail corridor in Maine for public use. Some of these protected lands will forever contribute to the iconic vistas hikers see from the Appalachian Trail. All of them are open to the public for a range of uses provided by this rich landscape: day hiking, hunting, mountain biking, foraging, birding, fishing, camping, snowmobile use, ATV riding, and more. These lands are part of communities and contribute to the physical and mental well-being of all who live in or visit Maine.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s work could not be accomplished without our many partner conservation organizations, our institutional partners, and our supporters and community members.

Meet the Team

MaryHope Gardner-Sears
Marketing & Development Manager

MaryHope relocated to Maine from Colorado in 2026, bringing years of non-profit development experience from Community Harvest Project and Colorado Open Lands. She grew up hiking across New England with her family. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside hiking, trail running, skiing and camping. She currently lives in Bath, Maine with her husband and cat.

David Kallin
Board of Directors
Board President

Dave is Drummond Woodsum’s Managing Director and co-chair of the firm’s Land Conservation subgroup. Now living in Dresden, Maine, with his family, Dave has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail twice: first in 2002 with his wife, and again in 2014 with their kids, who were eight and ten at the time. He cares deeply about the AT in Maine and the rugged, remote character it has kept even after nearly a century of use, and he hopes to help preserve it for generations to come.

Katie Mauro
Board of Directors

Katie has spent the past 12 years working in healthcare. She has a Master's in Healthcare Services Administration (MHSA). Having spent the majority of her time working in the maternity and women's health space, she is now spending more of her time delivering on clinical strategy and AI. When she's not working, Katie loves trail running and co-leads a running club based in Portland, Maine. She is passionate about bringing awareness to conservation work that protects Maine’s natural landscape and makes sure to bring it up on trail runs with friends. Enjoying the proximity to the mountains, she and her husband can often be found exploring trails when not at home with their two cats in South Portland

Peter McKinley
Board of Directors
Board Vice President

Pete is an avian conservation research biologist and conservation planner focusing on western United States, Alaska, and the eastern forest including the entire Appalachian Trail Landscape with a focus in Maine. He spends his days researching, summarizing, and mapping priorities for conservation defense in his landscape. Pete’s introduction to the A.T. came as a member of the Colby Outing Club in 1983, during which he maintained the section of trail from Bodfish Intervale outside of Monson and the start of the “Hundred Mile Wilderness” to Gulf Hagas. When he’s not working or in the mountains, he loves to be on his 50 year old Cape Dory sloop on cruises and day trips out of his home port, Pemaquid Harbor.

Mike Morrone
Board of Directors

Now the full time owner of Owl Furniture, Mike started his career in the banking industry. He spent 15 years with TD Bank holding various roles in analytics and contact centers working his way into senior management. He lives in New Gloucester with his wife, two daughters and their family dog. Mike grew up skiing at Sunday River and exploring its surrounding landscape that he now works to protect. He loves trail running, skiing, hiking, and bikepacking and although life is busy raising two girls, they get outside any chance they can.

Caroline Norden
Board of Directors

Caroline began her land conservation career in 1987 as the executive director of two local land trusts in northwest Connecticut. She then spent 12 years at Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), first overseeing it land protection and stewardship programs and later serving as a senior project manager. Currently, she is a member of the John Sage Foundation board and the Yarmouth Climate Action Committee.

Simon Rucker
Executive Director

Simon Rucker has been the Executive Director of the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust since 2014. Prior to that, he worked for The Trust for Public Land in New York City. He has served on the Portland Land Back Commission, the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Association, and as a community volunteer for Portland Public Schools. He lives in Portland with his wife, two children, and two cats. In his free time he enjoys riding his bike, playing basketball, and taking advantage of Maine outdoor recreation opportunities statewide.

Peter Ventre
Board of Directors

Pete is a co-owner of Pemberton’s Gourmet Foods, a specialty food manufacturer located in Gray, Maine. He is a CPA and CFA, and for most of his career he provided financial advisory services to business owners, real estate investors, and developers. He enjoys sailing, rowing, cycling, hiking, skiing, and gardening. Pete lives in Cumberland with his wife, Liz, and has two adult children. In addition to serving on the MATLT board, he is a Trustee of Portland Yacht Club, Chair of the Foreside Community Church Finance Committee, an Executive Board member of the Pine Tree Council, Scouting America, and a member of the Board of Directors of the OceanView Retirement Community Resident Aid Fund.

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