KINGFIELD — The Select Board is weighing how to improve access to the remote Shiloh Pond without compromising preservation goals for the wilderness area.

The area is two miles from downtown Kingfield and includes the pond and 215 acres of protected land managed by the Shiloh Pond Committee. According to the town website, the committee’s mission is “to protect and preserve the natural resources and traditional uses of the land.”

The committee was established by the Select Board after the town accepted the pond and its surrounding 215 acres from the Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program as a gift. Committee duties include improving access to the property, maintaining the trails and ensuring safety for visitors. The committee also enforces guidelines and prohibited uses to preserve the condition of the 19-acre pond, which is a popular fly-fishing and paddling destination.

The committee is requesting to move the gate to the pond, which is accessible by a road and bridge.

At the Aug. 5 Select Board meeting, Committee Chairperson Kathy Houston said members have debated where to put the gate.

“We chose about 100-150 feet back from the bridge,” she said. That location would make it a shorter distance to carry a canoe and the potential to serve as a trailhead.

Houston emphasized the extensive volunteer work and donations that have supported the property’s upkeep.

“There has been a lot of volunteer work done and there were donated materials,” she said. “It is not a full town-maintained road.”

She also acknowledged the limitations regarding handicap access.

“It is not a place that is intended for everyone to go to,” Houston said. “We didn’t have a remote wilderness pond and we have that now. It is not handicap accessible.”

Selectman Kimberly Jordan raised concerns about the old gate always being locked and the lack of accessibility for handicapped individuals.

Select Board Chairman Wade Browne asked, “Should we leave it unlocked and see how it goes? Would it get abused?”

Houston was concerned about people potentially bringing ATVs.

Browne proposed using carriers for canoes and kayaks that could be signed out from the office.

The group supported the idea, seeing it as a potential way to improve access without compromising the preservation goals.