Containerport plan sinking Is Sears Island Safe Again? ** No Port = No Green Payoff = No Port.
SEARS ISLAND 2008 On Nov 18th the Transportation Committee of the Maine Legislature passed a motion by Senator Christine Savage suspended the partitioning of Sears Island, and the granting of a perpetual conservation easement to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Following this the Maine DOT withdrew its application to the Army Corops of Engineers for a Mitigation Bank on Sears Island. The Army Corps of Engineers thereupon cancelled its December 1st 2008 public meeting on this topic in the Belfast Armory. The president of Friends of Sears Island told Maine Things Considered that they considered the deal off. No word yet on the Sierra Club's stance. The Club's Maine chapter had invested its reputation heavily in the island partitioning plan.
No further action likely until the swearing in of the new 124th legislature in January
Media coverage Bangor Daily News ...
.. Maine Things Considered
Maine Public Radio News ... WMTW TV news ...
The new directive includes an amendment submitted by Senator Christine Savage (mp3) that blocks compromising environmental groups Sierra Club, Maine Coast HeritageTrust, Islesboro Island Land Trust, Friends of Sears Island and Penobscot Bay Alliance from their conservation easement and educational center until after a Sears Island container port/railyard gets its state and federal permits. See photos from the Transportation Committee meeting
Senator Savage's motion, adopted by the committee:
"I move the compromise agreement, including the conservation easement reached by the Sears Island Joint Use Planning Committee, be accepted in principle, but left unsigned by this committee until a port is permitted on Sears Island. The Transportation Committee will submit a bill to the 124th Legislature, directing the Maine Department of Transportation to move forward with all practical speed to see that a port is permitted on Sears Island. Once that permit is in hand, the agreement before this committee will be signed."
But! The eco-yuppies had planned just the opposite: they to get their easement over the 600 acres immediately and begin designing and building their nature center. Port plans would arise and be dealt with some time in the future.
Now the tables are turned: Will Sierra Club fight Conservation Law Foundation, Penobscot Bay Watch and other groups when they attack development and dredging plans associated with portifying Sears Island? They'll have to, if they want their easement and Educational Center.
Listen to Penobscot Bay Report Thursdays 1-3pm on WRFR Community Radio, serving Rockland, Owls Head, Saint George, Rockport and Camden.
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