Restoring the Penobscot
Maine is a wild and beautiful place. Historically, the Penobscot River has been one of the most productive fisheries in the Northeast. Yet in the last 75 years, we’ve seen a continuous decline in wildlife, starting with fish and moving up the food chain. Recently, we’ve made significant strides to reverse this trend.
This spring we had our first glimpse of improvement on the Penobscot. We saw about 1.5 million alewives return to the river, compared with about 589,000 the year before. Because alewives are a keystone species, their return bolsters the species that depend on them as a food source. Over the July 4 weekend I saw, for the first time in my life, a bald eagle flying over Penobscot Bay — a good omen for the future.
The recent increase in wildlife along our river is directly correlated to the work of the Penobscot River Restoration Project. During the summers of 2012 and 2013, two main stem dams were removed from the river, allowing fish to migrate freely up to the Milford dam for the first time in more than 100 years. While these results are a phenomenal start. We can and should do more.
We need to look at every obstruction of our rivers, including dams and culverts, and ask ourselves if they make sense, not only economically but also biologically. As we’ve seen with each dam removal, when we sacrifice a little for Mother Nature, she comes roaring back. With enough time, the Penobscot will become a landmark, enriching the beauty of Maine and the wild lands we love.
George Whitridge
Castine
Stick with Trump
Thank God the Republicans decided not to go ahead with the “Never Trump” effort. Remember, the voters of Maine twice elected the most incompetent man, Gov. Paul LePage, to govern the state. His leadership has made the state of Maine the laughingstock of the country. This is not the group of folks I want to take suggestions from.
Dola Carter
St. Francis
Elect legislators who support solar
Solar power has become an increasingly important part of our energy mix. It is a clean, renewable energy source, one that is abundant in Maine. The price for rooftop installations has dropped dramatically in recent years, making it much more affordable for homes and businesses, and the solar industry is creating good paying jobs in communities that sorely need them.
Unfortunately, Maine is lagging behind the rest of New England in solar installations and jobs, primarily because of outdated energy policies. We need an updated approach to encourage all solar development. This will be an enormous boost to our economy, as well as helping to control energy costs for homeowners and protecting the natural resources our state depends on.
One of the factors I will consider when voting this November will be the position the candidates take on solar policy. In my district, Democratic Sen. Geoff Gratwick and Rep. John Schneck already have shown themselves to be strong advocates for rethinking this critical public policy. I applaud their forward thinking — we need such solar advocates in the Legislature.
Karen Marysdaughter
Bangor