In explaining the Challenge, John Simko, the MWC Chairman says, "We are sick and tired of having our incredibly beautiful multi-use, working North Woods misrepresented by out-of-state environmental organizations and a few Mainers with an agenda. Their slick, expensive full-color brochures and professionally polished seminars have convinced too many people in southern Maine and beyond that the north woods is a region devoid of trees, completely denuded by irresponsible logging practices - essentially a ruin, which brought to mind the acronym LIAR, for Logging In A Ruin."

Simko continues, "The fact is that every year thousands of people from southern Maine and beyond come up here to enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, the fall foliage, and other year-around recreation, much of it facilitated by northern Maine's traditional open access to land. All this goes on while responsible timber harvesting is carried out under some of the most stringent regulations in the U.S. This region is beautiful precisely because the land is privately owned and very well cared for. Now we'd really like to have those who believe the lies and propaganda about the condition of Maine's working North Woods come up and see for themselves. That's what our LIAR Challenge is all about; we're putting our money where our mouth is."

The Challenge will run through Friday, October 18th and is open to any U.S. resident at least 18 years old. In case there is more than one qualifying entry, the $1000 will be split equally among qualifying entrants. The results are expected to be announced October 30th.

Ironically, the man responsible for the travel distance and tree diameter benchmarks used in the LIAR Challenge is Jonathan Carter, Director of the Forest Ecology Network and a staunch supporter of both a National Park and RESTORE: The North Woods. Says Simko, "Mr. Carter's 1999 claim to having driven in this region 'for over eighty miles without seeing a tree greater than three inches in diameter' creates exactly the kind of false impression our LIAR Challenge is intended to knock down. So we're providing an incentive for people to come on up and try to duplicate Mr. Carter's feat. We'll be surprised if anyone can. We think they'll find Maine's working north woods is exactly the opposite of the barren wasteland he suggests." Then he adds with a confident smile, "We've even added an extra half inch in tree diameter to allow for three year's growth since he made the trip."

The idea of this Challenge was sparked several weeks ago by MWC Treasurer, Bill Jarvis, a Maine Licensed Professional Forester with years of practical field experience. He told the organization's Steering Committee about a couple from the Portland area, who recently stopped in his town of Jackman on the way to visit Quebec. "The couple had heard RESTORE and other groups repeatedly telling how Maine's multi-use north woods has been destroyed by timber harvesting. Instead," said Jarvis, "they were astonished to find this lush region, flourishing with so many trees." Simko confirms, "That's when the Steering Committee decided it really had to do something to impress the truth upon the people outside this area, and the idea of our $1000 LIAR Challenge was born."