Wilderness Partners: Buzz Caverly and Baxter State Park Phyllis Austin Paperback, $20, ISBN 978-0-88448-304-5 480 pages, photographs Biography / Maine

"In telling the intertwined history of Caverly and the park he served for almost 50 years, Austin has given all of us an inestimable gift. Anyone who reads her detailed and well-told narrative will come away with a better understanding of how the crown jewel of Maine's park system has always depended on people who understand the value of wilderness and are willing to spend the days of their lives in its defense."
—Times Record

"Phyllis's work has been essential in framing and informing the debate for policymakers and citizens on wilderness and conservation issues in Maine for nearly thirty years. It is hard to imagine where North Wood issues in Maine would be without her work. She is as much a part of the landscape here as a lynx or a remote mountain lake."
—Will Sugg, Maine Environmental Policy Institute

"It is a gem. You have done a brilliant job and have given us a human perspective on wilderness management like no other."
—Dean Bennett, writer and friend of Baxter State Park

"Phyllis Austin, a veteran Maine reporter, who probably has attended more Baxter State Park Authority meetings than anyone outside the part staff, tells the story of Buzz's rise and 'fall' in this fascinating new book . . . she sheds new light on hundreds of park decisions, and the continuing battle to keep the park wild. It should be must reading for anyone concerned with the future of Governor Baxter's dream—especially all future Baxter State Park Trustees."
—Wilderness Matters (Maine AMC Newsletter)

". . . you have to respect Austin's dedication, just as you have to respect Baxter's vision or Caverly's devotion. For those who live Baxter State Park, every detail matters, and the contagious obsession that preserved this special part of Maine is truly magnificent."
—Down East Magazine

Buzz Caverly first joined the ranger staff at Baxter State Park in 1960, when the new park was just taking shape under the direction of Helon Taylor and the park's donor, Percival Baxter, who wished the park to be "forever wild." Caverly's legendary career in the park—one of the most unusual wilderness areas in the nation—culminated when he became park director in 1981. Over the years he saw tremendous changes in attitude about land conservation, public access, and park management. From the "Wild West" days of the 1960s to the intensely managed years of the 1990s and beyond, the clash of personalities and politics is entertaining and inspiring, and reveals the minefield of people and issues Buzz had to negotiate to save the park's wilderness character.

Phyllis Austin is a professional journalist whose focus has been on environmental issues for many years. Most of her career was with Maine Times, a statewide weekly, and the Associated Press. She has written for numerous national, regional, and state newspapers and magazines and is a past recipient of two honored fellowships: the John Knight Fellowship at Stanford University and the Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship.