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It’s sad when so many people and organizations who oppose the development of the Hydro-Quebec/Central Maine Power’s electricity corridor use what I think are emotionally charged and misleading statements to oppose its development.
Of the total distance, 53 miles of a west-to-east corridor is planned through what has been called a “pristine wilderness” and “beautiful undeveloped forest” to be connected with an already existing (to be expanded) 92-mile passage from the West Forks area to Lewiston. However, much of the 53-mile stretch of the corridor is within a much larger, historical and present-day “working forest” that has reforested and continues to reforest itself (I‘ve driven through some of it!). This region is currently crisscrossed by a very large number of open, improved and unimproved roads (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer). Even if a corridor is constructed, I think any damage can be diminished by using as much of the existing roadway network as possible.
In addition, in early October, WGME journalist Brad Rogers covered U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh discussing the necessity of expanding Maine’s logging industry and the training of more loggers and other logging-industry personnel for the future of Maine. If this is so important for Maine, why are so many people opposed to the tree-cutting along the proposed corridor? Instead, maybe the efforts of the corridor opponents should be to replanting the previously decimated forests.
Bill Harmon
Benton
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