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As a lifelong Mainer, landowner, and former director of the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, I have spent decades studying and teaching land use planning and resource management. After reviewing the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) Conservation Plan, I believe it represents a thoughtful and meaningful commitment to conservation that deserves public support.
What stands out most to me is the plan’s permanent protection of 50,000 acres of forest land that will be connected to existing conservation lands in northwestern Maine. By preserving a large contiguous landscape and managing it to support long-term forest sustainability, the plan helps protect ecological values while offsetting impacts associated with construction of the transmission corridor.
Equally important, the proposal demonstrates how complex infrastructure projects can be carried out responsibly when private landowners, businesses, and state agencies work together toward a common goal. I believe the partnership among Weyerhaeuser, NECEC, and the Department of Environmental Protection offers a practical example of balancing environmental stewardship with projects that provide broader public benefits.
Maine has a long tradition of finding pragmatic solutions to challenging issues. I believe this conservation plan reflects that tradition. I encourage the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to approve the plan in full and help ensure that its environmental benefits are realized for generations to come.
Paul B. Frederic
Starks