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A recent meeting at the University of Maine highlighted the plans for an approximately $50 million project to revitalize the Penobscot River area.
The plan stems from an unprecedented collaborative effort between the Penobscot Indian Nation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and the Maine Audubon Society.
It would involve the removal or upgrading of several dams along the Penobscot River in hopes of bringing the river back to life.
Cheryl Daigle of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust addressed an assembly of 30 attendees in the Bangor Lounge.
The PRRT is a group that was formed to find ways to protect and rejuvenate the Penobscot River.
Daigle presented a slideshow, featuring picturesque scenes of the area and its wildlife, which outlined the history of the Penobscot and the changes that will occur between today and 2010.
The PRRT has plans to purchase three major dams along the river from the Pennsylvania Power and Light Co., a large-scale electric company based in Allentown, Pa.
A portion of the funding, $25 million, would go toward the purchase of the Veazie and Great Works Dams, which will be removed, and the Medway Dam, which will be decommissioned.
For another $25 million, several other dams would be upgraded to accommodate fish migration and increased hydroelectric power production.
Daigle said that one of the PRRT’s major challenges was “finding a way to balance the environmental concerns with the concerns about losing hydroelectric power.”
Projections show that 90 percent of the dam’s hydroelectric capacity will be retained due to upgrades, even after two major dams are removed.
The removal and upgrades of these dams are expected to bring important fish species back into the Penobscot River area.
Pollution and dams without sufficient fishery elevators have been blamed for causing 11 species of fish to be placed on the endangered list.
“The return of these fish would spur environmental, cultural and even economic returns,” said Daigle.
With the return of the fish would come an increase in predators like bald eagles, otters and herons.
The Penobscot Indian tribes could restore their traditions of fishing in the Penobscot River like they had for centuries, providing them with a long-desired opportunity for cultural revival.
Daigle said that new waterfronts would be open after the removal of the dams.
In some areas the removal of the dams may create rapids, which could spur new whitewater rafting companies and draw tourists.
The state’s economy would also be boosted by the revival of the fisheries in Penobscot River and the Gulf of Maine.
Daigle’s presentation was organized by the University of Maine’s Society for Conservation Biology.
David Ellis, vice president of the group, talked about why he felt it was important to spread the word about this project.
“We have a real opportunity to be a part of the restoring one of America’s, and the world’s, great fishery resources,” said Ellis. “So many people are affected by and have an effect on this river. I feel that it is an obligation to know what is going on with it.”
Bangor Daily News