To the editor,
Thank you for Catherine Schmitt’s article on the process to develop Sears Island. As Ms Schmitt mentioned, at Governor Baldacci’s request, over 200 people presented their ” visions” for the future of Sears Island. What makes this rather large number even more significant is the fact that out of the 200 “visions” presented, about 190 of them came from the public and called for a wild, undeveloped island. Even the Sierra Club advocated removing the causeway. The remaining ten came from individuals paid to attend the meetings and centered around profit-making schemes. Yet somehow this overwhelmingly no- development sentiment was transformed into a consensus agreement that now involves two separate areas of development, complete with RR tracks, razor wire fences and roaming armed guards. All this without one bit of economic evidence regarding the necessity of a port. The state is attempting to pre-empt our defense of the island’s virginity by engineering this incestuous marriage between MDOT and a small, non-representative group of weak-willed environmentalists. The environmental proponents of this giveaway, refuse to justify their position publicly. Privately, they say they have saved two-thirds of the island and now we must all band together to save the remaining one-third. What they neglect to mention is the two-thirds they are saving was never in danger of development, except from the environmentalists themselves. (MDOT has always said it was only interested in the area across from Mack Point.) And they fail to mention that by supporting this agreement they give up the right to fight any future ports and promise to publicly support MDOT efforts to market the port proposal immediately. These environmental quislings are allowing themselves to be used, by the governor, as “Green” cover in this betrayal of the public trust. Their duplicity will make our battle to keep Sears Island undeveloped much more difficult. The Sierra Club has been the hero of past battles but they have been neutered. What this inevitable port development on Sears Island means for the rest of the bay is unclear, but wiping out large areas of eelgrass can’t be good. We can still stop this. If you want to keep the port out of the bay make your feelings known. Tell people what you think the effects of the port traffic will be on fishing and related activities through out the entire Penobscot Bay. AND join us in or efforts by visiting FairPlayForSearsIsland.Org and adding your name to our ever growing list of those willing to fight to keep a port off Sears Island.
Harlan McLaughlin
Fair Play For Sears Island
Searsport