#protecttheforest — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #protecttheforest, aggregated by home.social.
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Western #Kenya’s most important water-capturing forest is disappearing, satellites show
Morgan Erickson-Davis
28 Nov 2024Excerpt: "Efforts to combat forest loss in #Mau include initiatives by local organizations like the #ParanWomenGroup and #BambooJunction, which are engaging in #reforestation, #education and poverty-reduction efforts.
" '#Poverty in this area is driving #deforestation, but we are trying to educate the community on the dangers of cutting trees,' Wilfred Sanlam, a Community Forest Association official and conservationist who works with Bamboo Junction, told Mongabay in 2022. '[Bamboo Junction’s] #TreeNursery is one of the projects that will help us reverse the damage.'
"Those familiar with the situation said that more action is urgently needed to protect what remains of Mau.
" ' #MauForest is an important #ecosystem, and continued degradation will affect millions of people who depend on it for water,' Collins Keter, a local leader of the community of #Olenguruone , told Mongabay in 2022 'Our rich #biodiversity is also at stake if this shrinking continues.' "
#SolarPunkSunday #EastAfrica #ProtectTheForest #CulturalPreservation #ForestsAreLife #WaterIsLife
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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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How #Guatemala, #Mexico, and #Belize plan to protect 14 million acres of #Mayan #forest
Mexico, Guatemala and Belize have announced plans to create a huge reserve of tropical forest spanning across the three countries. Pushing out criminal gangs and protecting the land from ranchers, miners and loggers won’t be easy.
Aug. 21, 2025
Excerpt: "One proposal from Mexico is the expansion of its '#PlantingLife' program, which offers landowners money to grow certain kinds of trees either for fruit or timber. The program has a $2 billion budget, Bárcena said.
"But the program, which dates to ex-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has faced criticism. In 2021, the World Resources Institute reported that it had actually incentivized deforestation in Campeche state. Bárcena said the program is being adjusted to better meet environmental objectives.
"Mexican sustainability and climate action expert Juan Carlos Franco, who works in southern Mexico, said security is crucial and requires the government to act as 'guarantor.' But the work has to be carried out with civil society in the local communities, including in places where locals have found ways to coexist with the illegal activity surrounding them, he said." 'Communities oriented toward the #biocultural management of the territory can overcome despite the crime, that’s the most revealing message,' he said.
No #megaprojects"Another challenge will be holding governments over the long term to commitments to forgo big projects that promise economic development but threaten #EnvironmentalDamage, such as Mexico’s tourist rail operation, the Maya Train, which Belize is interested in extending to its territory.
"Orantes, the Guatemala minister, said that Guatemalan President #BernardoArévalo would not allow megaprojects in the reserve because when access is opened in the forest it becomes difficult to control everything that follows.
"Arévalo recently declined to renew the contract of a #petroleum company that had been operating for 40 years in a Guatemalan reserve known as the #MayaBiosphere.
"Guatemala is making the largest land contribution to the reserve, encompassing 27 existing protected areas. Arévalo had already made clear that he would not run an extension of the Maya Train proposed by Mexico’s last president through protected areas.
"In Mexico, Bárcena noted that the 950-mile (1,500-kilometer) train line, which started running in late 2023 and goes in a rough loop around the Yucatan Peninsula, lies outside the new reserve’s territory.
She said her agency was working to alleviate some of the environmental impacts of the train line, in collaboration with companies operated by the Mexican Army, which built a large portion of the rail line and operates the train.
"To avoid destructive projects in the new reserve, the three governments agreed to create a council made up of environmental authorities, as well as an #Indigenous advisory council, Bárcena said. Any proposed projects in the reserve would have to pass through them."Archived version:
https://archive.ph/GyXR8#SolarPunkSunday #ProtectTheForest #IndigenousPeople #CommunityActivism
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#EmeraldAshBorer and Other #TreeHealth Concerns
#Maine #DACF Update for Cities and TownsSeptember 11, 2025
#MaineForestService"On September 11, 2025, The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the City of Belfast hosted a workshop to update city and town tree and forest managers and public works staff along with interested community members on the known status of emerald ash borer in Maine, local and state management efforts, municipal support opportunities, as well as a Q&A session."
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXFuktJRzSM#SaveTheForests #SaveTheAshTrees #Basketry #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #AshTrees #MaineForests #MaineDepartmentOfAgriculture #MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry
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#Searsport information session addresses questions about offshore #WindPort
By Marleigha Clipston
Published: Aug. 13, 2024 at 9:11 PM EDTSEARSPORT, Maine (WABI) - "The Searsport Select Board held an informational meeting with representatives from #MaineDOT and the Maine Port Authority to discuss the state’s proposed offshore wind port.
"At Tuesday night’s meeting the select board asked questions that were submitted ahead of time regarding the wind port and the impacts it would have on the area.
"In February, the state announced the preferred location for the wind port is #SearsIsland.
"Many residents have spoken out against the wind port being built on Sears Island suggesting #MackPoint as an alternative location.
"Representatives from the state say they are still very early in the process which will take years.
"'Local people should be listened to in this process and heard that we really need to have an undeveloped Island to go to and for the animals and plants,' said Chris Buchanan, Campaign to #ProtectSearsIsland.
“'You know, we talked about carbon sequestration, having mature ecology, like an intact ecosystem, is way more important than building out offshore wind. We could do that on industrial sites that already exist,' said Buchanan.
“'Its still an ongoing process. I mean, the permitting process here, we anticipate to take a minimum of two years. We hope to do that concurrently with the NEPA process,' said Matthew Burns, Maine Port Authority’s Executive Director.
“'And I mean, ultimately, you know, the final decision is to find the least #environmentally damaging, practical alternative. We’re committed to doing that. and have devoted a lot of resources to make sure we do right,' said Burns.
"Over 70 questions were submitted and many were not addressed due to time constraints.
"The town and the state plan to hold more meetings going forward."
#ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #MackPoint #Wahsumkik
#EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag -
CALL TO ACTION!
Can you attend this event for
#Wahsumkik / #SearsIsland?"Floating Offshore Wind 101 - An Educational Panel with Q&A."
Wednesday, August 21st
Bucksport 5:30-7:30pmCenter for Professional Mariner Development
24 Mariner Way
Bucksport, #MaineFMI -
https://www.facebook.com/events/826271572971739/#WindPort #MackPoint ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag -
Proposed offshore #WindPort on #SearsIsland raises new conflicts for coastal Mainers, environmental activists
Residents concerned about both #ClimateChange and preservation are conflicted over plans for a facility on Sears Island that could be key to launching Maine's offshore wind industry
Annie Ropeik, The Maine Monitor
July 14, 2024"Dow and activists like Huber want the port built instead at a #SpragueEnergy-owned oil and logistics terminal across the water known as #MackPoint. It was considered as an alternative in lengthy public processes in recent years, and Sprague and opponents of the Sears Island proposal have continued to urge reconsideration for it so far this summer.
"Offshore wind has taken some big steps forward in Maine this year. Federal regulators approved a state research array of floating turbines, which generate power in deep waters far offshore, and are nearing leasing for commercial projects.
"A new state law calls for #Maine to procure 3 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040, using union- standard labor to build the projects and a floating wind-focused port.
"Formal environmental assessments and site analyses are still pending. But state port authority director Matthew Burns wrote in June that Mack Point’s 'physical and logistical constraints, need for significant dredging, and increased costs to taxpayers for land leasing and port construction would result in an expensive and inferior port for Maine compared to a versatile, purpose-built port on Sears Island.'
"Still, opponents worry that #wetlands and #forests on Sears Island could be disrupted by port construction, even if most of the surrounding #ecosystem remains intact.
"'Because we have to sacrifice something, let’s sacrifice something irreplaceable, instead of cleaning up a dirty old existing port?' Huber said outside the event. 'That’s just ridiculous.'"
Archived version:
https://archive.md/HBPgT
#ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #MackPoint #Wahsumkik
#EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag -
Common #Wildlife of #Wassumkeag Island (#SearsIsland)
"This is an ongoing list of the types of wildlife found on Wassumkeag (Sears) Island. It is based on reported observations. There are many other animal species on Sears Island, however, that have not been seen so are not included in this list. The list does not include most aquatic or tidal organisms. Please see our other guide for birds. New species will be added in future updates so check back.
American Mink
American Red Squirrel
American Toad
Common Garter Snake
Common Porcupine
Common Raccoon
Deer Mouse
Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern Cottontail
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Harbor Seal
Moose
Northeastern coyote
Ribbon Snake
Smooth Greensnake
Spring Peeper
Striped Skunk
White-tailed Deer
Wood Frog
Yellow-Spotted Salamander"
Source:
https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/3233"We welcome your submissions of observations! Please visit our website at http://friendsofsearsisland.org/explore-the-island/ to log observations. You may also add species to our Inaturalist Project, 'Plants and Animals of Sears Island.'"
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #WednesdaysForWildlife #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #GreenEnergy #MackPoint -
#SearsIsland Bird Images
by Karl Gerstenberger"To date, birders have spotted 222 species of birds on Sears Island, representing 47% of all bird species recorded in #Maine. In Derek Lovitch’s 2017 book #Birdwatching in Maine, he states that 'Sears Island…is by far the shining gem of Maine coastal birding' in the area of #coastline between Rockland and Mount Desert Island..'"
https://friendsofsearsisland.org/explore/bird-gallery/
#ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #MackPoint #Wahsumkik
#EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag #WednesdaysForWildlife -
#SearsIsland: The Answer to Green Energy, Or Home to #Biodiverse #Wildlife?
by Freyja Grey
Jul 16, 2024"The #Wabanaki people indigenous to the area named Sears Island #Wassumkeag, or Shining Beach. The tribes used the island to hunt and fish for centuries.
"McCarthy said, 'They've been documented archeologically to have had a presence here for at least thirty-five hundred years.... There's a bio-regional perspective that considers all the relations: the #insects, the #grasses, the #trees, the #eelgrass, the #birds, the critters that roam these woods — if you really want to speak for Sears Island, it's incumbent, not just for poets and photographers and old hippies, it's incumbent for all of us to be mindful of all that is happening here.'
"McCarthy said he gets why the island is an attractive place for development. 'We're in a time where wind energy is important,' he said. 'We need to find green sources of power, but the narrowness of that human perspective needs to be challenged.'
"Both McCarthy and Lawless join the group #FriendsOfSearsIsland in maintaining that #MackPoint is better situated for development.
"Even though 600 acres of the island are protected by a conservation easement, industrial disruption to the peaceful island could lead to #environmental impacts that may not be fully realized until after development, according to McCarthy."
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #WednesdaysForWildlife #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #GreenEnergy -
#SpragueEnergy offers alternative plan for offshore #WindPort at #MackPoint
Story by Katie Delaney
June 11, 2024"The State of Maine is planning to build its first offshore wind port on Sears Island in #Searsport, but Sprague Energy is pushing for its facility at Mack Point to be reconsidered as the site for the project.
"Leaders of Sprague Energy held tours Tuesday to show people their plan for offshore wind at Mack Point which they say is a lower-impact alternative to #SearsIsland.
"'This is a technology we've been serving for 20 years; we know what we do, we know our plan is rational,' Sprague Energy Vice President of Materials Handling Jim Therriault said.
"Sprague Energy has been working on #WindTurbines for the land, but it’s ready to take them to the sea.
"Therriault said the plan will impact the land less than the Sears Island project while still preserving their current operations.
"'We came up with a plan that gives you the same, if not more, capability and we did it with greatly reduced dredging, probably about an 85 percent reduction,' Therriault said.
"Sprague would make money on the deal. It would lease 100 acres of its facility to the State of Maine. Sprague says its site would be cheaper than Sears Island.
"'That lease fee will likely be lower than the state financing fees,' Sprague Energy President and CEO Dave Glendon said."
#Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag -
#SearsIsland Study Area
#Wetland Delineation#Photographs: August & September, 2023
Sears Island
Searsport, Maine 04974#Nature #MDOT #MaineDOT #JanetMills #SaveTheWetlands #EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
"The #PeregrineFalcon, a federally endangered species that has been verified on #SearsIsland, likely preys on smaller birds along the island's coast. The #SouthernBogLemming (state watch list) and #EasternRibbonSnake (state special concern list) have been verified on Sears Island..."
#EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
Energy company wants #Maine to use its port instead of #SearsIsland for offshore wind hub
Competition for Maine's offshore #WindPort is sharpening with #SpragueEnergy Operating Resources proposing #MackPoint as an alternative to the state's preferred site on nearby Sears Island.
by Stephen Singer, June 6, 2024
[Behind a paywall -- full text below]
An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial property as a location for an offshore wind port, offering it as an alternative to the site on nearby Sears Island that is preferred by the state but opposed by local residents.
Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. The plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.
“We can’t get the state to look at this plan seriously,” said James Therriault, vice president of materials handling at Sprague.
The Mills administration says Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because the site is owned by the state, saving money that would otherwise be required to lease another location, and is designated for port development.
State officials also have said that the Sears Island site would not require dredging, unlike at Mack Point. But Therriault said Mack Point has been dredged to a depth that can accept ships. “We’ll take advantage of depth that’s already there,” he said.
Sprague says its Mack Point Terminal offers 100 acres separate from current activities, a base launching dock allowing the use of a semi-submersible barge or Tug Dock device – next-generation equipment used to install offshore wind platforms – and a second large vessel dock for Sprague’s bulk and liquid operations that can also serve as a backup dock.
“Sprague believes it’s in the best interests of Mainers to urge the state to fully analyze the costs, timings and impacts of Sprague’s alternative design,” Therriault said. “We believe this alternative achieves the goal of minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, while reducing overall cost and providing all the same operational and vessel functionality.”
In response to Sprague’s proposal, the state Department of Transportation said Mack Point has “physical and logistical constraints.” The agency says the area would require a “significant” need for dredging and greater costs to Maine taxpayers for leasing and construction, resulting in a “more expensive and inferior port facility for Maine compared to Sears Island.”
“What are those constraints?” asked Rolf Olsen, vice president of Friends of Sears Island, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that manages a conservation area on the island. He opposes the state’s proposal and favors Mack Point.
State officials use the “same generalities” as they have before, he said. “I don’t see anything new here.”
DOT officials said Sears Island is “one of the best sites for a deep-water port on the Eastern Seaboard, which is why a portion of the island has been reserved for port development for many years.”“By all available information, analysis and stakeholder input, Sears Island is the most feasible and cost-effective location for an offshore wind port,” the state said.
The state’s selection of Sears Island as its preferred site “followed two years of evaluation, local discussions and assessment of all other port options – including Mack Point,” the DOT said.
Gov. #JanetMills announced in February the state’s preferred site at Sears Island. The selection is subject to state and federal permitting and will be analyzed in comparison to Mack Point.
Olsen said redeveloping Mack Point, “which has thrived as an industrial site for more than a century” would be less disruptive than building a port on Sears Island.
The state, he said is “single-mindedly going for Sears Island.”#Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature -
I find it ironic that #GovernorJanetMills has declared June to be "#Maine #Dairy Month," when her brother #PeterMills is trying to destroy one of the last remaining dairies in #SouthernMaine, #SmilingHillFarm!
#GovernorMills Proclaims June as #MaineDairyMonth
May 30, 2024
https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-proclaims-june-maine-dairy-month-2024-05-30
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHill #GorhamSpur
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl -
Tree cutting has already started! Call your legislators and #ProtectTheForest / #ProtectTheDunes and #SaveSearsIsland! The trees and greenery there keep #Carbon from entering the atmosphere! #MackPoint is a better choice, since it has already been developed and is NOT ecologically sensitive!
[Undeveloped] #SearsIsland has staved off #industrialization for decades. Now it may become #Maine’s #WindPort.
Many say Mack Point's the better choice.
SEARSPORT — "At 940 acres, Sears Island is the largest uninhabited island off the coast of Maine, making it an inviting patch of ground for proposed developments such as a shipping cargo port and #nuclear power plant.
"For decades, however, the #PenobscotBay island has been a graveyard for major projects that never got built.
"That could change in the coming years.
"#GovJanetMills announced in February that Sears Island is the state’s preferred site for an industrial port with facilities to build, assemble and maintain floating offshore wind turbines, hundreds of feet in height. The undeveloped site would be transformed into a busy hub for ships delivering materials to build the turbines, and it would be populated by cranes, storage facilities and vehicles.
[...]
"Many local residents and others in Maine [including the #WabanakiAlliance] say Mack Point is a more logical launchpad for the state’s floating wind industry, and that the state should spare tranquil Sears Island with its abundant woods, trails and views of #PenobscotBay from becoming what they fear would be an industrial zone."
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #CulturalGenocide #Greenwashing -
#MDOT Plans New #SearsIsland Road and Rail Access Corridor Through Current #ConservationLand
Published by
#allianceforsearsislandon May 23, 2024
"Can we hold the Maine Department of Transportation accountable for bull-dozing their way toward developing Sears Island and industrializing #PenobscotBay, along the way breaking promises, rewriting environmental protection law, changing the Sears Island conservation easement, withholding from the public important development costs and impacts and avoiding open, honest, transparent public involvement?
"We might be tempted to begin our list of facts illustrating MDOT’s abuse of authority and public trust with the illegal filling of Sears Island #wetlands and construction of the causeway, apparently in violation of its permit, in the 1980’s. But let’s keep to the more recent offshore wind record of broken promises and undisclosed development activity.
"During the Governor’s announcement in February, [#GovJanetMills] claimed, without supporting data, that Sears Island development 'will cost less' and 'is expected to result in less environmental harm' than would development of a state-owned but privately operated offshore wind facility at Mack Point.
"The 'cost less' assertion raised major questions not yet answered in part because, a few months earlier, at the last OSWPAG meeting, we were told, 'The total project cost for construction is very similar for both MP ($460 Million Total Project Cost) and SI ($470 Million Total Project Cost).'
"Sears Island’s current #undeveloped, natural condition, provides important ecological services to the region and state, especially for fisheries, #CarbonSequestration and publicly accessible recreation. #MackPoint does not provide these ecological services. According to a reliable source, every acre of intact Sears Island forest locks up between 80 and 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year – #CO2 that cannot harm our #climate.
"Developing Sears Island proposes removing all vegetation and life from more than 100 acres on Sears Island, nearly one-third of which is existing or historical #wetland, and then harvesting 1.4 million cubic yards of soil to create an impermeable, nearly level work area. Doing so constitutes radical, permanent, irreparable ecological damage, forever eliminating current upland and associated marine #environmental benefits. This exactly flips an appropriate climate-change response and dramatically undermines any claim that developing Sears Island instead of Mack Point represents the least environmentally damaging choice.
Broken Promises
"In 2007, the state promised to choose #MackPoint as the preferred location for future marine transportation development. The Sears Island agreement, signed by 38 stakeholders including the Maine Department of Transportation, and adopted as state policy by then-Governor Baldacci and the State of Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, says: 'Mack Point shall be given preference as an alternative to port development on Sears Island.'
"The Sears Island agreement also committed the State of Maine from ever harvesting soil from the island. Ever. Not one cubic yard of soil would be harvested and certainly not 1.4 million cubic yards of soil!
Sadly, the Governor’s announcement and subsequent actions taken by MDOT toward developing Sears Island render the promises made in 2007 by our government worthless.
Broken Laws
"But highly questionable governmental actions in pursuit of developing Sears Island continue. In March this year the Governor brought forward the sand dune bill that allows violation of sand #dune system protections on Sears Island and creates a dangerous threat in the future for any environmental law that may interfere with MDOT development aspirations. Though initially failing to pass in the House, the bill eventually became law after strong political pressure.
New Sears Island Road and Rail Corridor
"And now we come to the MDOT application for a federal grant specifically to develop Sears Island. Nestled within several documents associated with the grant application is page 2 of a two-drawing file titled, Sears Island Wind Port Concept Drawing 2024-04-29, copy attached or available at https://www.maine.gov/mdot/grants/infra/.
"The illustration depicts a new 'heavy load' access road and rail corridor as part of Sears Island development plans for the first time, at least in public.
"As proposed, the new approximately 2,300-foot-long rail and road access corridor passes through a thickly wooded portion of the island, crossing at least two perennial streams and disturbing additional wetlands along the way. Assuming a 100-foot width, the corridor would destroy more than 5.25 acres of intact natural landscape, in addition to the more than 100-acre upland ecological destruction at the facility site proper.
"Adding insult to injury, the proposed new road and rail corridor requires changing the conservation easement boundary in the vicinity.
"#FriendsOfSearsIsland Vice President Rolf Olsen received confirmation of the new road and rail access plan from Kay Rand in response to his query. Rand also substantiated that the new access corridor would cross a portion of the conservation parcel and necessitate a change in that parcel’s boundary.
"According to budget information included with the grant application, clearing, grubbing, excavation and borrow, grading, drainage, erosion control, paving and other work related to this access corridor will add $8 million to the cost of developing Sears Island. Mack Point already provides both a heavy load road and rail.
"The new Sears Island rail and road access corridor presents yet another failure by MDOT to incorporate an honest understanding of climate change into decision-making. As MDOT fiddles for federal grant money to pursue a mega facility on Sears Island, the Earth tilts toward catastrophic climate change.
"I will venture the opinion that, had the #MillsAdministration and MDOT focused offshore wind port research on Mack Point as promised in March 2020 (see attached press release), as promised in the Sears Island Planning Initiative, and as the historical record certainly suggests is the rational approach, including deeply exploring development possibilities there with #SpragueEnergy, they might already have secured permits and seen construction begun.
#Accountability Now"End the insulting double-speak. With honor and integrity, not intrigue and obfuscation, open-up and bring the full spectrum of facts to this decision. Accountability now!"
Steve Miller
#WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #AllianceForSearsIsland #ProtectWahsumkik #MackPoint #Wahsumkik
#EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #WabanakiAlliance #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #PenobscotNation #Passamaquoddy #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag -
OpEd: Opposing wind port on #SearsIsland protects #wildlife
"I strongly oppose the decision by Gov. Mills and the Maine Department of Transportation to locate a wind port on Sears Island in Waldo County. This is wrongly being touted as the least environmentally harmful location for a port, largely based on its requiring less dredging to establish access than using an available site at nearby Mack Point.
Placing a port on Sears Island would destroy upwards of 100 acres of woodland and a sand dune habitat and be very harmful to the thousands of migrant birds that pass through the island. Mack Point is already highly industrialized and offers little benefit to birds and other wildlife. Claiming that Sears Island is the least environmentally harmful is simply inaccurate.
One of the unmentioned reasons for the state’s desire to develop Sears Island is likely that it offers room for future port expansion, whether that be for assembling wind towers or anything else #MDOT wishes to do. MDOT controls 300 acres on the island and will surely find reasons to expand once it establishes a foothold.
"Sears island is highly important to birds and is one of the premier locations in the state for observing spring and fall migrant songbirds. It is sad that some of the state’s largest environmental organizations have not taken a firm stance against developing the island. Check out the Alliance for Sears Island website for more information, and I urge you to contact your state legislators and ask them to oppose a port on Sears Island."
John Wyatt
Winterporthttps://allianceforsearsisland.org/
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #ProtectTheForest #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #WednesdaysForWildlife -
#SpragueEnergy #MackPoint #OffshoreWind Plan
Published by #AllianceForSearsIsland on
May 16, 2024"The Bangor Daily News published an excellent op-ed by Sprague Energy’s Jim Therriault on May 14 that lays out the numerous reasons why building the state’s offshore wind manufacturing, assembling and launching facility there is the best alternative if it is built in #PenobscotBay.
"Sprague also announced that the public may tour their Mack Point facility and learn more about their offshore wind plan on Tuesday, June 11. Pre-registration is required by contacting Chris Goddard at [email protected] or [email protected]
Source:
https://allianceforsearsisland.org/2024/05/16/sprague-energy-mack-point-offshore-wind-plan/For more information, visit https://www.spragueenergy.com/mack-point.
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #ProtectTheForest #Wassumkeag -
#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 -
State applies for federal grant to build wind port on #SearsIsland
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 17, 2024
"The Mills administration said Friday it’s seeking $456 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build an offshore wind port at #SearsIsland, angering local opponents who say the state is bypassing an alternative at nearby #MackPoint before a study analyzing both sites has even been started. A study is set to be done assessing Sears Island and Mack Point, which is favored by many local residents because it already has an #industrial area. Sears Island has been spared previous #development attempts. The project has divided #environmentalists who support Maine’s foray into wind power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but disagree on where to build a port to support the project."
#RESTOREMaine #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #MackPoint #Wahsumkik
#EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #GovernorJanetMills #WabanakiAlliance #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #PenobscotNation #Passamaquoddy #ProtectTheForest #CorporateColonialism #Wassumkeag -
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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#JanetMills seems keen on demonizing environmentalists and tribal leaders, rather than clean up #MackPoint -- an already industralized area -- to build the offshore wind terminal
Maine House, protecting sand dunes, rejects plan to build offshore wind terminal on #SearsIsland
It is unclear how severely the decision will delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, which would create hundreds of high-paying jobs and advance the state's climate goals.
by Stephen Singer
April 9, 2024"The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to protect sand dunes on Sears Island where the Mills administration has proposed to build an offshore wind terminal.
"In an 80-65 vote, the House rejected legislation that would have authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to grant a permit to build the terminal on an area of Sears Island that includes a coastal sand dune system.
"If the legislation fails, it is unclear how severely the decision would delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, where turbines and other components would be assembled and then shipped to the Gulf of Maine. The project involves lengthy state and federal permitting processes after a site is selected.
"The legislation, which is narrowly crafted to reference the sand dunes, would allow the DEP to act only after all laws and agency rules also permit construction.
"The sand dune area is about four-tenths of an acre, according to the bill, which now heads to the Senate.
"Gov. Janet Mills announced in February her selection of Sears Island for Maine’s foray into wind power. She said it was not an easy decision, and it was opposed by environmentalists who favored nearby #Mack Point.
"Criticism quickly focused on the potential threat that construction would pose to the sand dunes. #MaineAudubon says sand dunes and coastal #beaches protect buildings and infrastructure from waves and flooding and provide #habitat for migratory shore birds, and endangered and threatened species."
#Wahsumkik #WabanakiAlliance
#Maine #Searsport
#WindTurbines
#ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm -
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
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Critics call plan for #Searsport offshore wind site ‘dangerous precedent,’ point to coastal impacts
#WindPower advocates and #conservationists looking to protect #SearsIsland from use as a wind power hub presented their points of view to lawmakers, who must choose between the two sides.
"Bill would set a dangerous precedent for the destruction of our coastal #ecosystems"
Stephen Singer
March 18, 2024"Opponents urged lawmakers to respect the area’s coastal environment.
"Tribal Rep. #AaronDana of the #PassamaquoddyTribe said the proposal would disrupt the area’s environment and cause #pollution, affecting the ability to fish, hunt and gather 'in the traditional ways that have sustained the Passamaquoddy people' and others.
"#Industrialization of the areas 'not only (desecrates) our #SacredSites, but (it also erodes) our cultural heritage and our connection behind the land,' Dana said.
"Joshua Kercsmar, vice president of #PreserveRuralMaine, said the conservation group prefers construction of a wind port on the 'already industrialized #MackPoint part of Searsport that has no coastal dunes.
"He also said the state would set a bad precedent by changing environmental policy.
'If through a single bill the laws no longer apply to protecting Sears Island then a troubling question arises: If the state can so easily undo protections on Sears Island sand dunes, why could it not just as easily undo protections on other protected ecosystems elsewhere?' Kercsmar said."#SandDunes and coastal #beaches protect buildings and infrastructure from waves and #flooding and provide #habitat for #MigratoryShoreBirds and endangered and threatened species, #MaineAudubon said. It suggested establishing a Coastal Sand Dune Restoration and Protection Fund, modeled after Maine’s Lake Water Quality and Restoration Fund, that 'would help kickstart a novel opportunity to increase technical assistance, research and public education.'"
#Wahsumkik #Maine #FirstNations #SacredSites #JanetMills #Corporatocracy #OffshoreWindFarm #Wabanaki #ProtectTheDunes #ProtectTheForest #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalProtections #CorporateColonialism
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Governor’s Bill to Exempt a Sand Dune on #SearsIsland/ #Wahsumkik from #EnvironmentalProtection for #OffshoreWind Port Passes Committee – Full Vote Expected This Week
Sunlight Media Collective March 26, 2024
"Governor’s Bill to Exempt a Sand Dune on Sears Island/ Wahsumkik from Environmental Protection to allow for her choice of the Undeveloped Island as the Site for the most 'Cost-Effective' Offshore Wind Port Passes Committee.
"The #Passamaquoddy and #PenobscotNation and numerous #environmental organizations oppose the development, while large environmental groups and unions back the governor.
"A full legislative vote is expected this week.
"On Thursday, March 21st the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted in support of a bill that would carve out exemptions from existing environmental protections for the industrial development Sears Island/Wahsumkik.
"#LD2266 “An Act Regarding #OffshoreWindTerminals Located in #CoastalSandDune Systems” put forth by the Governor’s office five days before its public hearing last week, seeks to specifically exempt a sand dune on Sears Island, in Searsport, from current #EnvironmentalProtections to allow for the advancement of an offshore wind staging development 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.
"The bill’s passage could set a dangerous precedent for the quick rollback of environmental protections at the behest of industry and the state.
"The development of Sears Island (known also by the Penobscot name Wahsumkik)), the largest undeveloped island within the state and one of the largest on the eastern seaboard, has been a lightening rod over the past decades, as the state and prevailing industry have attempted to site a number of projects there and received concerted local push back that stopped development.
"On this current attempt, the Governor’s office has gathered a roster of supportive environmental groups eager to be seen making visible strides on climate change, and unions eager for employment opportunities. But opposition to Sears Island development has not dissipated, and has increased in diversity to include both political parties, as well as local and state environmental groups, fisherman and the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe.
"This movement is pushing back on what they see as a false choice on #ClimateChange action– alternative energy vs the destruction of #forests and critical habitat on the undeveloped island. They challenge the Governor’s conclusion that Sears Island should be chosen over Mack Point.
"LD 2266 would allow for the exemption of a coastal sand dune on Sears Island within the proposed wind port from current protection under the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
"Expressing public support for the bill at the hearing were: The Governor’s Office, The Maine DOT, Maine Labor Climate Council, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine State Camber of Commerce, Maine Peoples Alliance and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Some expressed openness to locating at Mack Point, if it was considered viable.
"Against the development of Sears Island and additionally opposed to the bill that would make changes to the DEP coastal sand dunes protections, include: The Passamaquoddy Tribe, Searsport Representative Reagan Paul, the Alliance for Sears Island, #FriendsOfSearsIsland, Isleboro Island Trust, #SierraClub Maine, Preserve Rural Maine, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association , Upstream Watch, Community Water Justice, #FriendsOfCascoBay and Casco Bay Keepers and a number of individuals speaking on own behalf. The Penobscot Nation did not give testimony at the hearing but opposes the development at Sears Island/Wassamkeag.
"Speaking Neither for nor against were: Maine Conservation Voters and #MaineAudubon, who stated they could not support the bill as written, but could potentially with an amendment .
"Testimony from the March 18th hearing can be viewed online at
https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/ENR
"A vote by the full legislature on the the rollback is expected this week.
Sunlight Media Collective will continue to follow this story.
Further coverage can be heard archived on WERU FM Community Radio on the programs Maine Currents and RadioActive. www.weru.org"
#Corporatocracy #Maine #MainePolitics #Greenwashing #JanetMills #ProtectTheForest #SaveSearsIsland