#protecttheforest — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #protecttheforest, aggregated by home.social.
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#Minnesota governor signs order to stop any #mining efforts in #BoundaryWaters #Wilderness
August 18, 2026
ELY, Minn. (AP) — "Minnesota Gov. #TimWalz on Tuesday suspended state work on proposed mining projects in the #BoundaryWatersCanoeArea Wilderness, four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a federal ban.
"The cherished wild area stretches for about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) in the #SuperiorNationalForest along Minnesota’s border with #Canada. Thousands of canoeists, kayakers and campers explore the wilderness each year.
" 'It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed,' Walz, a Democrat, said.
"#TwinMetalsMinnesotaLLC, a subsidiary of #Chile -based #AntofagastaMinerals, has been seeking to mine for #copper, #nickel and other precious metals in the #NationalForest since 2019. It insists it can be done so no waste rock is stored above ground, eliminating a potential source of acid.
"The canoe area lies within the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could cause pollution.
"In April, #Trump signed a resolution approved by Congress that lifts a 2023 federal moratorium on mining in the forest. He said it would create jobs and boost the #MiningIndustry.
:Walz’s order says Minnesota regulators will not participate as a cooperating agency in any federal environmental review of a nonferrous mining project in the #RainyRiver watershed, which is linked to #BoundaryWaters."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-boundary-water-mining-walz-4123863c7030bbdec88a2a2aa888fd61#USPol #NoMining #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #WaterIsLife #ForestsAreLife
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#Minnesota governor signs order to stop any #mining efforts in #BoundaryWaters #Wilderness
August 18, 2026
ELY, Minn. (AP) — "Minnesota Gov. #TimWalz on Tuesday suspended state work on proposed mining projects in the #BoundaryWatersCanoeArea Wilderness, four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a federal ban.
"The cherished wild area stretches for about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) in the #SuperiorNationalForest along Minnesota’s border with #Canada. Thousands of canoeists, kayakers and campers explore the wilderness each year.
" 'It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed,' Walz, a Democrat, said.
"#TwinMetalsMinnesotaLLC, a subsidiary of #Chile -based #AntofagastaMinerals, has been seeking to mine for #copper, #nickel and other precious metals in the #NationalForest since 2019. It insists it can be done so no waste rock is stored above ground, eliminating a potential source of acid.
"The canoe area lies within the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could cause pollution.
"In April, #Trump signed a resolution approved by Congress that lifts a 2023 federal moratorium on mining in the forest. He said it would create jobs and boost the #MiningIndustry.
:Walz’s order says Minnesota regulators will not participate as a cooperating agency in any federal environmental review of a nonferrous mining project in the #RainyRiver watershed, which is linked to #BoundaryWaters."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-boundary-water-mining-walz-4123863c7030bbdec88a2a2aa888fd61#USPol #NoMining #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #WaterIsLife #ForestsAreLife
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#Minnesota governor signs order to stop any #mining efforts in #BoundaryWaters #Wilderness
August 18, 2026
ELY, Minn. (AP) — "Minnesota Gov. #TimWalz on Tuesday suspended state work on proposed mining projects in the #BoundaryWatersCanoeArea Wilderness, four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a federal ban.
"The cherished wild area stretches for about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) in the #SuperiorNationalForest along Minnesota’s border with #Canada. Thousands of canoeists, kayakers and campers explore the wilderness each year.
" 'It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed,' Walz, a Democrat, said.
"#TwinMetalsMinnesotaLLC, a subsidiary of #Chile -based #AntofagastaMinerals, has been seeking to mine for #copper, #nickel and other precious metals in the #NationalForest since 2019. It insists it can be done so no waste rock is stored above ground, eliminating a potential source of acid.
"The canoe area lies within the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could cause pollution.
"In April, #Trump signed a resolution approved by Congress that lifts a 2023 federal moratorium on mining in the forest. He said it would create jobs and boost the #MiningIndustry.
:Walz’s order says Minnesota regulators will not participate as a cooperating agency in any federal environmental review of a nonferrous mining project in the #RainyRiver watershed, which is linked to #BoundaryWaters."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-boundary-water-mining-walz-4123863c7030bbdec88a2a2aa888fd61#USPol #NoMining #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #WaterIsLife #ForestsAreLife
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#Minnesota governor signs order to stop any #mining efforts in #BoundaryWaters #Wilderness
August 18, 2026
ELY, Minn. (AP) — "Minnesota Gov. #TimWalz on Tuesday suspended state work on proposed mining projects in the #BoundaryWatersCanoeArea Wilderness, four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a federal ban.
"The cherished wild area stretches for about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) in the #SuperiorNationalForest along Minnesota’s border with #Canada. Thousands of canoeists, kayakers and campers explore the wilderness each year.
" 'It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed,' Walz, a Democrat, said.
"#TwinMetalsMinnesotaLLC, a subsidiary of #Chile -based #AntofagastaMinerals, has been seeking to mine for #copper, #nickel and other precious metals in the #NationalForest since 2019. It insists it can be done so no waste rock is stored above ground, eliminating a potential source of acid.
"The canoe area lies within the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could cause pollution.
"In April, #Trump signed a resolution approved by Congress that lifts a 2023 federal moratorium on mining in the forest. He said it would create jobs and boost the #MiningIndustry.
:Walz’s order says Minnesota regulators will not participate as a cooperating agency in any federal environmental review of a nonferrous mining project in the #RainyRiver watershed, which is linked to #BoundaryWaters."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-boundary-water-mining-walz-4123863c7030bbdec88a2a2aa888fd61#USPol #NoMining #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #WaterIsLife #ForestsAreLife
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#Minnesota governor signs order to stop any #mining efforts in #BoundaryWaters #Wilderness
August 18, 2026
ELY, Minn. (AP) — "Minnesota Gov. #TimWalz on Tuesday suspended state work on proposed mining projects in the #BoundaryWatersCanoeArea Wilderness, four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a federal ban.
"The cherished wild area stretches for about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) in the #SuperiorNationalForest along Minnesota’s border with #Canada. Thousands of canoeists, kayakers and campers explore the wilderness each year.
" 'It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed,' Walz, a Democrat, said.
"#TwinMetalsMinnesotaLLC, a subsidiary of #Chile -based #AntofagastaMinerals, has been seeking to mine for #copper, #nickel and other precious metals in the #NationalForest since 2019. It insists it can be done so no waste rock is stored above ground, eliminating a potential source of acid.
"The canoe area lies within the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could cause pollution.
"In April, #Trump signed a resolution approved by Congress that lifts a 2023 federal moratorium on mining in the forest. He said it would create jobs and boost the #MiningIndustry.
:Walz’s order says Minnesota regulators will not participate as a cooperating agency in any federal environmental review of a nonferrous mining project in the #RainyRiver watershed, which is linked to #BoundaryWaters."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-boundary-water-mining-walz-4123863c7030bbdec88a2a2aa888fd61#USPol #NoMining #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #WaterIsLife #ForestsAreLife
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BREAKING NEWS🚨 - Press release from the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity
#Trump Moves to Kill #RoadlessRule in Biggest Assault on #ForestProtections in U.S. History
For Immediate Release, August 18, 2026
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration today proposed scrapping the country’s most significant tool for protecting national forests, a move that would open nearly 45 million acres of wild, unfragmented forest across 37 states to road construction, logging and other development.
“Trump is pushing for the largest evisceration of public lands protection in American history and against what Americans want,” said Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These are some of the last truly wild forests left in the country, places that shelter endangered wildlife and protect our drinking water. Once you start bulldozing roads for commercial logging and industrial development, there’s no getting them back. Americans love their public lands and want them protected. We’re going to fight like hell to safeguard these wild places for future generations.”
Today’s announcement from the U.S. Agriculture Department will be followed by Wednesday’s release of the draft environmental analysis, giving the public until Sept. 21 to comment on the proposed Roadless Rule recission.
Here are statements from the Center’s regional experts on risks to roadless forests and wildlife across the country:
Northern #Rockies
“Roadless forests are lifelines for grizzly bears and Canada lynx across the northern Rockies,” said Kristine Akland, Northern Rockies director. “Grizzlies need these areas to den and raise cubs and lynx populations are already declining as mature forest habitat disappears. Building roads and allowing logging in these wild areas would make an already difficult situation for these species even worse. People across the region know how vital these intact forests are for wildlife, clean water and recreation, and they overwhelmingly oppose dismantling the Roadless Rule.”
“We’ll fight Trump’s monstrous proposal to gut the Roadless Rule, which would be disastrous for the Tongass,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska program director. “Punching roads through 9 million acres of intact temperate rainforest would destroy world-class salmon streams. It would open the door for corporations to clearcut irreplaceable, centuries-old Sitka spruce for export overseas. Alaska’s wild places deserve better.”
Southwest
“Roadless forests are where wildlife live,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director. “They’re home to jaguars, Mexican spotted owls, and ocelots, some of the most iconic animals on the continent. Plowing roads into their habitat will bring human-caused wildfires and disturbances that they don’t need and can’t afford. We’ve fought for years to protect the forests and animals of the Southwest and there’s no way we’re giving up now.”
"Roadless areas protect the most beloved and endangered species in the Southeast,” said Will Harlan, Southeast program director. “The South Mills River harbors the country’s strongest hellbender population. Snowbird and Tusquitee Bald shelter endangered Carolina northern flying squirrels, gray bats and longsolid mussel. These forests sustain local economies, protect iconic recreation spots like the Appalachian Trail and safeguard drinking water for millions of people in Charlotte, Atlanta and beyond. Handing them over to loggers and construction crews isn’t sound policy, it’s a tragedy."
Why we need the Roadless Rule:
- Forests free of roads and logging provide crucial and connected habitat for animals and plants, protecting them from noise, pollution and other human-caused harms.
- The forests at risk — from Oregon to North Carolina — are home to scores of threatened and endangered species, including American wolverines, Canada lynx, grizzly bears and northern spotted owls. Rescinding the Roadless Rule would not only push these species closer to extinction but threaten countless others, including Alexander Archipelago wolves and Queen Charlotte goshawks.
- More than 370,000 miles of roads already fragment U.S. national forests, with a maintenance backlog in the billions of dollars. Most wildfires are human caused and occur near roads, with a decades-long, nationwide study finding human-caused wildfires are four times more likely in areas with roads than in roadless forests.
- National forests are the headwaters of many of the country’s major rivers and the largest source of municipal water supplies, serving more than 60 million people in 33 states. The Roadless Rule protects rivers and streams from roads, a major source of water pollution because of erosion and sediment.
#USPol #ProtectTheForest #NationalForests #WildlifeCorridors #WildlifeHabitat #EndangeredSpecies #Greed #CorporateColonialism #StolenLand #LandBack #ForestsAreLife #WaterIsLife
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#BreakingNews! 🚨 #LandBack in #Maine!
Land returned to #MikmaqNation will double tribe’s territory
Nearly 3,400 acres have been returned to the Aroostook County-based tribe.
by Reuben M. Schafir, June 22, 2026
"The #Mikmaq Nation is expanding. The tribe on Friday obtained title to #MesgilgMaqamigew, a nearly 3,400-acre parcel near #BridgewaterME. The land return is so large it will more than double the tribe’s holdings.
" 'For decades the Mi’kmaq citizens have seen their traditional hunting and gathering grounds disappear to development or private ownership not allowing access,' Chief #SheilaMcCormack said in a news release. 'This property will give our people a place for outdoor recreation, a place to teach our children how to hunt and fish, and a place we can pass down the traditions of our ancestors before they are forgotten.'
"Of the four #Wabanaki tribes, the Mi’kmaq Nation received federal recognition last, in 1991. It and the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians hold far less land in Maine than the #PassamaquoddyTribe and #PenobscotNation, which each have more than 150,000 acres.
"#TheConservationFund negotiated a below-market value sale and purchased the parcel last year from #forestry company #HCHayne, then held it on behalf of the tribe. The organization worked with an alliance of tribes known as the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship, and #FirstLight, a group of non-native, land-based organizations, to secure $1.9 million for project." 'Indigenous land return projects are a cornerstone of our conservation efforts,' Tom Duffus, Northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said in a statement. 'I’m thrilled that this special place is once again managed by the Mi’kmaq Nation, whose citizens have stewarded this landscape since time immemorial.'
"Mesgilg Maqamigew means 'big land,' a name chosen in recognition of the significance to the tribe of a parcel so large, contiguous and lush with resources.
"The property contains #forests, #wetlands and more than three miles of #NorthWhitneyBrook, a stream with a thriving #BrookTrout population, according to Mi’kmaq Environmental Health Director Shannon Hill.
"The tribe has already located #fiddleheads there, and Hill said they plan to use the land for #hunting, #fishing, gathering and timber. Snowmobile and ATV trails are available for public use.
"#RichardSilliboy, a basket maker and former Mi’kmaq vice chief who sits on the commission, is hopeful the parcel has #BrownAsh for weaving — but expects, at least, 'some decent fishing.'
"#MesgilgMaqamigew is the sixth to be completed in a series of projects spearheaded by the commission that are collectively known as the tributary land returns. The tributary returns comprise 52,000 acres in 11 discrete projects involving all five tribal governments in Maine at an estimated cost of $52 million."
Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/22/land-returned-to-mikmaq-nation-will-double-tribes-territory/Archived version:
https://archive.md/Bkbl0#WabanakiAlliance #Dawnland #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #LandConservation #NativeAmericanNews #IndigenousNews #MaineSettlementAct #NativeAmericans #Indigenous #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LandStewardship #Stewardship #SolarPunkSunday
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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I saw this on the local news today... 177 acres of woods!!! WTF! Gorham Sand and Gravel doesn't care about environmentally sensitive areas, or areas with children! They pushed to get mining in nearby #LimingtonME, despite the objections of the residents (and it being next to a State of Maine Nature Preserve)!
Neighbors in #AlfredME discuss controversial quarry proposal
by Julia Simone,WGME
Tue, April 7, 2026ALFRED (WGME) - "Alfred residents said they feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, voicing frustration to the town’s planning board Monday night over plans for a new quarry in their neighborhood.
"The entrance and exit of the proposed quarry would be off of Route 202 in Alfred and the site would be 177 acres.
"#GorhamSandAndGravel are the developers behind the project."
[...]
"If constructed, developers say the project would involve blasting and dozens of dump trucks operating six days a week.
"But the project was put on hold last summer after residents in the area voiced concerns about noise, dust, and environmental impacts.
"Now, the potential quarry and the concerns are back.
" 'The noise, the fly rock, the #SilicaDust, and we have an #ElementarySchool that is 1.6 miles away,' Alfred resident Ralph Dean said.
" 'Gorham Sand and Gravel is willing to risk our safety to make money, our kids safety, our families safety, our community's safety, and safety should never come second,' Alfred resident Shannon Stevens said.
"Another resident says a third-party review revealed holes in the quarry plan that haven't been addressed.
" 'These big company they take advantage of these small towns that don’t have good strong ordinances and a professional planning board. These guys are all volunteers and it’s a lot,' Alfred resident Lauren Carroll said."
Read more:
https://wgme.com/news/local/neighbors-in-alfred-discuss-controversy-quarry-proposal#NoisePollution #MainePol #Mining #ProtectTheForest #Pollution
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YES! VICTORY! Public pushback makes a difference!
#MaineTurnpikeAuthority drops controversial #GorhamConnector project
by WGME Staff Thu, March 6th 2025 at 7:56 PM
GORHAM (WGME) – "The Maine Turnpike Authority is now dropping its controversial Gorham connector project.
"The project would have built a new highway from South Portland to Gorham, with the goal of easing heavy road congestion.
"The MTA paused the project last year after receiving backlash from local residents.
"The project would have required the demolition of nearly a dozen homes and confiscation of #farmland."
"'There was a lot of concern, and people wondered if it's the right-sized tool for the job, a lot of people have concerns that, building another highway, there's concerns that it will just fill up,' MTA Director of Communications Erin Courtney said.
The MTA says it's heading back to the drawing board to re-examine traffic conditions and review past mobility studies to find better ways to ease congestion in the area." [Like #LightRail, #RapidTransitBusLines and more #BikeLanes!]
https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-turnpike-authority-drops-controversial-gorham-connector-project-south-portland
#Maine #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SmilingHillFarm #InducedSprawl #GorhamConnector #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit -
#SandDune Vote:
Some Tribal Perspectives on
Proposed Wind Port on #Wahsumkik“..For both #Wabanaki people and non Wabanaki people...It has a great amount of history. It's ecologically sensitive and important to the #ecosystem of our coast...” - Darren Ranco,
PhD, #Penobscot Citizen, Professor at the University of Maine, MITSC Commissioner, #Maine #ClimateCouncil committee member.April, 2024
"Sears Island (known also by the Penobscot name Wahsumkik) is the largest #undeveloped island within the state and one of the largest on the eastern seaboard, and considered important to #BirdMigration. Construction of a wind port operation would require the destruction of 70 acres of #forest and would impact a yet to be assessed area of marine eel grass. The destruction of a sand dune was
reportedly missed in a first assessment of the site, thus prompting the Governor's bill."https://allianceforsearsisland.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/tribal-perspective.pdf
#ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #MackPoint #Wahsumkik
#EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #WabanakiAlliance #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #PenobscotNation #Passamaquoddy #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag #WednesdaysForWildlife -
House Rejects Rollback of Sand Dune Protections for Development of #Wahsumkik
Sunlight Media Collective, April 10, 2024
"On Tuesday, the Maine House voted 80-65 to reject Governor Mills’ proposal to rollback state environmental protections to pave the way for the state’s preferred siting of an offshore wind port on Wahsumkik / #SearsIsland within the town of #Searsport. The Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday, April 10th."
#Maine #MaineSenate #MackPoint #WabanakiAlliance #WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm
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Monday Sand Dune Vote: Some Tribal Perspectives on Proposed Wind Port on #Wahsumkik
“..For both #Wabanaki people and non Wabanaki people…It has a great amount of history. It’s ecologically sensitive and important to the ecosystem of our coast…”
– Darren Ranco, PhD, Penobscot Citizen, Professor at the University of Maine, MITSC Commissioner, Maine Climate Council committee member.
via Sunlight Media, April 2, 2024"On Monday, the full Maine Legislature is expected to vote on #LD2266, 'An Act Regarding Offshore Wind Terminals Located in Coastal Sand Dune Systems.' The bill, put forth by the Governor’s office five days before a public hearing, seeks to exempt a sand dune on #SearsIsland, in #Searsport, from current state #environmental protections to explicitly allow for the advancement of an offshore wind port and staging area on the island. Governor Mills announced last month that Sears Island is the state’s 'preferred site' for the major development, instead of the already industrialized #MackPoint, also in #Searsport.
"Sears Island (known also by the Penobscot name Wahsumkik) is the largest undeveloped island within the state and one of the largest on the eastern seaboard, and considered important to #bird migration. Construction of a wind port operation would require the destruction of 70 acres of#forest and would impact a yet to be assessed area of marine eel grass. The destruction of a sand dune was reportedly missed in a first assessment of the site, thus prompting the Governor’s bill.
"At the public hearing on #LD2266, #Passamaquoddy Representative to the Maine Legislature #AaronDana, expressed opposition to the bill and deep concern for the unstudied impacts of off shore wind operations and the siting of a staging development and port on Wahsumkik/Sears Island.
"'These projects are often driven by the profit motives that prioritize corporate interests over the well being of the Indigenous people of Maine and the surrounding communities of non-tribal members alike….The push for the offshore wind project energies, the offshore wind energy must be critically examined from a #Native perspective, taking into account the profound impacts on our environment, our culture, and our communities.'
"'The installation and the operation of the offshore wind turbines often encroach upon sacred sites and areas of cultural significance. This project, especially for the #Penobscot Tribal territory, these places hold deep spiritual value for our community and are integral to our cultural identity. The industrialization of these areas not only desecrates our sacred sites, but they also erode our cultural heritage and the connection to the land and the sea.'"Information shared by Citizens To Protect Sears Island:
VOTE NO ON LD 2266
SEARS ISLAND is NOT the ONLY OPTION for OFFSHORE WIND.1) There has been no environmental impact study for Sears Island, and available environmental assessments that support development of the Island. However multiple assessments are available that discourage port development of any kind on the Island.
2) Sears Island has been deemed to have significant ecological value, invaluable capacity for future carbon sequestration, as well as many rare species, which are all necessary for future climate resilience. [The Resilient Land Mapping Tool, The Nature Conservancy, TNC Screenshots 2010, TNC Screenshots 2050]
3) Mack Point is the fastest option to permit and construct a wind port in Penobscot Bay that meets the 100-acre size requirement. Environmental permits will be granted without delay as the site is industrialized with limited ecological value. If expansion is required over time, collaboration may occur with the old mill site in Bucksport for smaller components, economically uplifting the entire region.
4) The MDOT has not considered the most recent Sprague Energy site use proposal, but it is a further improvement of the Moffatt and Nichols Report of 2023.
5) Construction costs at Mack Point are equivalent, or less than Sears Island ($400 to $500 million). [Moffatt and Nichols Report 2023]. It is NOT TRUE that Sears Island will be cheaper to develop because the State owns the land. The State is not factoring in costs that will be associated with development or operation. For example, causeway expansion and mitigation for wetland loss.
6) Dredging needed at Mack Point is minimal compared to Sears Island, with less potential sediment contamination. [Moffatt and Nichols Report 2023], [2021 Maine DOT OSW port Infrastructure Feasibility Study – Concept Design Report 11-17-2021]
7) Developing Mack Point has strong support from the regional community.
#CulturalGenocide #WabanakiAlliance #Maine #WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest