|
Sears Island glistens in the dramatic autumn
sunlight. On the old apple tree trail, still mostly green, the light is dappled,
warm and inviting. Ocher grasses in the estuary, touched by red, blaze today as
if on fire. Not far offshore, white sails, stunning in their contrast with the
marine blue water, bend to the westerly breeze... (I)magine groups of
children taking salinity tests in the marsh, talking excitedly with a teacher
about the web of life, meeting in an open field to watch migrating birds, or
tracking fox along a woodland trail. It's easy to imagine a more extensive trail
system with scenic overlook stations and interpretive aids. It's even easy to
imagine people some day arriving in Searsport by boat from Rockland and leaving
by train for Baxter State Park after visiting Sears Island.
(From the Op Ed piece
Preserve Sears Island while promoting economy
by Becky Bartovics and Marietta Ramsdell.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 - Bangor Daily
News. Read the
article.)
___________________________________________________________________________
On May 30, 2006 the
Sears Island Planning
Initiative Steering Committee Meeting held their first meeting on the future of
Sears Island. At the
request of Governor Baldacci, and in concert with the Town of Searsport, state
agencies created this stakeholder process to develop a consensus plan for Sears
Island. Read the
meeting notes. It is the goal of the Steering
Committee to develop a consensus report of recommended future land use
activities for Sears Island. The plan and recommendations will be submitted to
the Governor of the State of Maine, the Joint Standing Committee on
Transportation of the Maine Legislature and the municipality of Searsport. Read
the proposed
Goal and
Government document(5-16-06). On July 12, 2006, the Sears Island
Planning Initiative Steering Committee Meeting held their third meeting at
Hutchinson Center in Belfast. Read the
meeting notes. On
April 27, 2007, the Steering Committee finalized the work of the Sears Island
Planning Initiative, arriving at a
Consensus Agreement
and sending a clarifying
letter to the Governor.
They sent the Sears Island Planning Initiative
cover letter and supporting
documents (including the
voting tally
on the Consensus Agreement) to Governor Baldacci, the Joint Standing Committee
on Transportation, and the Town of Searsport. The
Town of Searsport
and Senator Damon
(Chair of the Transportation Committee) both wrote letters to Gov. Baldacci in
support of the Consensus Agreement.
 In a win/win scenario for jobs and
preservation, participants in the Sears Island Planning Initiative announced
their proposal,
“Preservation and Port: a Recipe for Prosperity.” In order to support
the Department of Transportation's Three Port Strategy, the group encourages
full utilization of Mack Point, using best available management practices, to
address the financial needs of Searsport and its transportation connections with
Central and Northern Maine. Current economic and shipping information indicates
that Mack Point has the potential to satisfy all marine transportation needs of
Maine’s central region for the foreseeable future. The affinity group recommends
that the entirety of Sears Island be conserved, and that trails and management
facilities be improved to fulfill its future as a regional ecotourism asset,
also supporting the local economy. The Port supported; the Island protected -- A
Win/Win scenario.
(Photo by Terry DeWan.)
For more information about Sears Island, to take part in efforts to protect the
island or for a natural history tour, call the Sierra Club 761-5616 and visit our
calendar of events at
http://www.maine.sierraclub.org/calendar.htm . To learn more about this
issue visit the
Maine Department of Conservation's website on the
Sears Island Facilitation Services Planning Initiative.
|
|
