Federal bill pumps $10M into Maine wildlife, water projects
10/31/09 | 10 comments

Federal bill pumps $10M into Maine wildlife, water projects


By Nick Sambides Jr.
BDN Staff

Wastewater treatment improvements in Limestone and Machias and land purchases crucial to sportsmen’s access to the Katahdin and Seboeis Lake regions are among the things paid for next year by a $10 million federal bill passed Thursday, the state’s congressional delegation announced.

Congress has approved the fiscal year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Millinocket, said in statements Thursday.

“The bill includes important funding for Maine’s lakes, parks, national park and national wildlife refuges, water and sewer infrastructure, and land preservation,” Collins said. “This funding will help protect and preserve the natural beauty of our state.”

Funding for Maine includes:

ä $3.7 million to buy 19,647 acres as part of the Katahdin Forest Expansion, which will build upon Maine’s largest contiguous block of conservation lands and maintain working forest landscapes and recreational access in the Katahdin and Baxter State Park regions.

ä $500,000 for the design and construction of new wastewater pipes and pumping stations in the Limestone Water and Sewer District.

ä $500,000 for sewer system upgrades and extensions in the eastern part of Machias.

ä $500,000 to address the threat of invasive species to Maine lakes and ponds.

ä $1 million to buy nationally significant seabird nesting islands for the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

ä $1.25 million to the city of Portland for design and construction of infrastructure improvements to fix sewer overflows and stormwater runoff which pollute Deering Oaks Park and Pond.

ä $3 million to buy a 110-acre property to become part of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The property includes undeveloped coastline, upland forests, wetlands and marshes that provide critical habitat for a wide variety of wildlife in Kennebunkport.

ä $500,000 for a Saint Joseph’s College-Maine Lakes Invasive Species-Habitat Restoration Initiative. The focus will be on the milfoil infestation threat in Little Sebago Lake and six other lakes as a “test bed” for the development of action plans against the invasive plant species at other Maine lakes.

“This bill provides support for community water infrastructure and environmental protection needs, such as the water projects in Limestone and Machias,” Michaud said. “With over 6,000 lakes and ponds, the task of preventing the spread of invasive aquatic species in Maine waters is one of the most difficult environmental challenges facing us today.”

The $3.7 million allocation, the bill’s largest, will complete the purchase of the Katahdin Forest Expansion project area, five parcels that will connect to existing recreation and conservation lands north and south of Millinocket.

Among other things, the purchased land complements and enhances previous federal investment in land protection around Baxter State Park; the view-shed from the summit of Mount Katahdin and the federally designated Appalachian Trail.

The tracts include portions of popular snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle trails important to the economy of the Katahdin and Seboeis Lake regions and northern Maine, said Alan Stearns, deputy director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

“This funding is a key part of our effort to build a new balance for recreation in the North Woods,” Stearns said Friday. “We are managing to support backcountry wilderness while also supporting snowmobiling and sportsmen.”

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Comments
10 comments on this item
On 10/31/09 at 12:33 AM, YES_ON_1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

There must be some strings attached to this grant.

Sounds fishy.

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On 10/31/09 at 5:38 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

there are strings attached.....once cap and trade is passed by democrats they will sell carbon credits from maines forests on the open market. There will be no need for a tax base so therefore no need for jobs in the region. Michaud will retire as the census shows our numbers have shrunk below the threshold and we only get one rep from maine in Washington~ and the moonbats will get their seguestered national forest that is a pipe dream of Jonathan Carter et al.

Get rid of Michaud!!!!! And then stop the almost 40 years of democrat control in Augusta. instead of them standing up to the Federal government they roll out the red carpet. Its all be design. Wake up.

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On 10/31/09 at 5:40 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

VOTE FOR JASON LEVESQUE!!!!!!!! before its too late.

Vote out all encumbent democrats in Augusta too. 40 years is way to long and look what they have done!

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On 10/31/09 at 7:00 AM, RubyRose wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Collins said. “This funding will help protect and preserve the natural beauty of our state.”

If they are trying to protect the natural beauty of our state, then why do they want to blast off all the mountain tops and put giant wind towers all over the place, and run transmission lines all through the state? I really think that it would definately take away from the natural beauty of the state. They are so worried about invasive plant species, what about those giant invasive wind towers? They don't seem to worried about Maine's wildlife when they are driving them out of their deer yards so they can run transmission lines through them.

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On 10/31/09 at 7:38 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

windmills are produced by GE. GE supports democrat politicians. baldacci pushed for wind turbines here with help from his democrat buddies. windturbines are the greenies big oil........tax payer funded and useless! michaud helped tear out our dam's that were producing energy to make way for the atlantic salmon then acts all surpised when the feds list them as endagered. wake up people...these people do not represent us they represnt who ever lines their pockets and they hold views that are way out of line with most of the country. every vote counts in every election but being vocal is more important, get off the couch and get active!

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On 10/31/09 at 8:01 AM, wallyo wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

PUT WINDMILLS ON KATAHDIN!

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On 10/31/09 at 8:10 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

tidal power......but of course the rich democrats like the kennedys fought that in mass. they didnt want to look at it. its okay for us poor serfs though.

do what i say not what i do should be the mantra of the democrats

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On 10/31/09 at 8:45 AM, BigBoy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You people would complain if they didnt do anything................why don't you all run for a political seat either local or state or federal and we will all sit back and crap on you. Boy I can't wait till the republicans take over because listining to you people that is the answer to all!!!! Well they took over for 8 years and look at the mess that the Idiot from Crawford Texas got us into!! You can piss and moan all you want but all this mess happened on Bush's watch and now Obama has to try to make some changes fighting it all the way thru. THANK YOU MIKE MICHAUD for your help in acquireing this money that will greatly help out the Katahdin area. Thank you Snow and Collins, if you keep up the good work I might be able to vote for you the next time around seeing that you can be bypartisin!!!

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On 10/31/09 at 9:34 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

dont confuse FEDERAL politics with STATE politics. Everything in this state is SOLEY a result of 40 years of democrat majority. But dont let that stop you from yelling over the next Bush covered hill bleating BAAAAAAAAAAAAH. maine democrats count on voters being uninformed, you are proof of that. pat yourself on the wooly backside.

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On 10/31/09 at 12:58 PM, foulwind1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

. One of the best and windiest sites for INLAND WIND are the peaks of Baxter State Park according to the DOE wind maps. All it would take are for some laws to be changed against the public will (Baldacci is good at that), and Firstwind could put dozens of these majestic Blow toys on the tablelands of Katahdin.

A wonderful tribute to all, particularly Firstwind, who could then pay the governor to administer all the ecologically sound and energy efficient projects in Maine. A lasting Tribute to his "Reign" as Governor. Angus King and son could then sell it to Iberdrola.

A lasting tribute to magnificent energy planning in Maine. “The State of Iberdrola”. Free of politicizing.Complete, and free of foulplay at high levels.

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