LIBERTY — Right before the holidays, the owners of the unpolitically correct party card game Cards Against Humanity had a surprise for 250,000 of their fans, each of whom bought a $15 “Mystery Package.” Not knowing what they’d get, the fans learned that the money went toward 10 surprises, the final present being the purchase of Liberty’s six-acre Birch Island on Lake St. George for approximately $200,000. One square foot each of the island, now renamed Hawaii², belongs to 250,000 fans of Cards Against Humanity all around the United States.

When news broke of this holiday stunt, reactions locally and on social media were mixed. On the one hand, fans of the card game were elated that Cards Against Humanity was able to pull off such a random, impromptu stunt.

When the news hit, multiple owners of the property announced on CAH’s Facebook page of their plans.

• I really want to plant a letterbox on my square foot.
• I think we should all plan one big party for all of our square feet!
• It would be cool if somehow we all were able to build something for us to all share on it.
  
• We need to start a massive road trip, a convoy if you will. And then start a week long camp out, like Burning Man, but nothing at all like it. 
• I'm claiming a tree, and making a tree fort!

It’s hard to say whether these are just excited exclamations or actually statements of intent, but it raised a number of concerns with locals.

The island is officially owned by Hawaii2, LLC and the stipulations of each owner’s contract are that they can use the island for "nondestructive, recreational purposes."

The rules additionally include that the new owners strictly abide by carrying out their trash, refrain from cutting any trees and do not build any fires without a local fire permit.

In Cards Against Humanity’s license agreement for the owners, it said:

“This square foot of land is yours to do what you want, as long as you don’t destroy it or break any laws. We’ve enclosed a small flag you can use to mark your territory.”

Penobscot Bay Pilot spoke with Linda Breslin, president of the Lake Association of Lake St. George, in Liberty.

“What they’ve done is perfectly legal,” she said. “They bought it. They own it. We may not like it, but we don’t have a legal right to tell them how they can use it.”

Breslin is not only the president, but she and her husband own an island property owner on Lake St. George.

She said: “This is a different kind of tenant contract than we’re used to. This is a very pristine environment. Lake St. George is rated as one of the cleanest lakes in the state of Maine and the idea that such a large group of people have a contract to use this rather small island has some of us concerned.”

The Lake Association primarily has two concerns.

“The contract allows people to get together on the island and do what they want within certain rules,” she said. “That’s within their legal right to get together and party on the island. People who own property can have parties; but, we would be primarily be concerned about fire and septic pollution of water. People cannot just start a campfire without getting a permit and they can’t use the island as a toilet. Many people still use the waters of Lake St. George for cooking, for their water source and, of course, for swimming. We monitor the lake for bacterial issues. It’s unclear how septic is going to be managed and how fire permits are going to be managed and what happens if owners of the property violate those rules.”

Asked if she thought overpopulation on the island this summer from groups of owners making the trek to Maine would be be a concern, she said, “Well, if they all want to stand shoulder to shoulder and they own it communally, they all can do it, though it doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”

Breslin added that excessive noise, partying crowds, and the unsightliness of flags are a lower level of concern for the lake association, although they are still a major concern for local residents.

Max Temkin, a co-creator of the game, responded to these concerns by email to Penobscot Bay Pilot. 

“If any of these things become actual issues, we'll reach out to island licensees and make sure they understand the rules,” he said. “If people continue to break the rules, we have the right to revoke their license on an individual basis. We're going to trust that people will use the island respectfully as they have for years in the past.”

A separate point, but one that has not yet been made aware to out-of-state owners of the property, is access to the island.

“You cannot launch a boat from the public boat landing and leave the boat at the landing overnight,” Breslin said, adding that kayaks would be easier to bring out, but then “they can’t just leave the kayaks at the boat landing if they wanted to go into town.” 

Lastly, for Mainers who have always historically used Birch Island as a day-use stopping point while boating, questions have arisen whether this island’s new ownership will prohibit this practice.

Tempkin responded, “We'll continue to maintain the island as an undeveloped public space as long as we have it; of course locals are welcome to continue enjoying it.”

Added Breslin, “I really don’t want to characterize that these people are unwelcome. I mean, maybe they will come and be very good neighbors. We don’t know. And if they are good neighbors, we hope they join the lake association.”

Related story: Cards Against Humanity uses holiday stunt to buy Lake St. George's 'Birch Island'

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com