MILLINOCKET (AP) – Overseers of Baxter State Park on Wednesday appointed Jensen Bissell to serve as the northern Maine wilderness preserve’s director, a position he has held in an interim capacity since July.

Bissell, of Milo, has more than three decades’ experience in resource management, and has served as resource manager at the 200,000-acre park since 1987.

“Jensen has done a superb job as resource manager, and we expect that he will do the same as director,” Attorney General Steven Rowe, chairman of the Baxter State Park Authority, said after the appointment at park headquarters.

Bissell has served as interim director since former Director Irvin “Buzz” Caverly retired July 1 after working at the park for more than 46 years, and since 1981 as director. Bissell was selected for the permanent post after the park authority reviewed more than 70 applications and interviewed a number of applicants.

Rowe said that in addition to serving as resource manager and interim director, Bissell has participated in the development of park policy, planning, personnel and operations.

While there was a high-quality field of applicants, “In the end, we were swayed by Jensen Bissell’s strong resource and operational management skills as well as his keen sense of devotion to Baxter State Park,” Rowe said.

The other members of the park authority include the commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner, Dan Martin, and Maine Forest Service Director Alec Giffen.

Baxter park includes Maine’s largest peak, Mount Katahdin, and more than 180 miles of trails. The northern end of the Appalachian Trail is at the summit of Katahdin.

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