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Home > Sears Island Initiative > Meeting Schedule > September 12 Meeting Questions and Answers

Sears Island Planning Initiative Steering Committee Meeting

Questions and Answers

Presentations at the September 12, 2006 Sears Island Steering Committee Meeting:

At the last Education Sub-committee of the Sears Island Planning Initiative on July 26, 2006, Karin offered to contact Ralph Knoll, Deputy Director at the Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands, and Phil Savignano of the Department of Economic and Community Development. Both have agreed to give a presentation at the next steering committee meeting on September 12, 2006. Here is a brief description of what they will discuss.

Ralph Knoll – How Conservation, Economic Health and Partnerships are Successful in Maine

Initial overview of his work with landowners, land trusts, funding sources and communities to form partnerships that achieve conservation and economic health.

Description of factors that underlie the motivation for unusual partnerships – such as desire for predictability and certainty for businesses and communities.

Review of examples of projects that blend conservation and economic objectives.

Briefing on funding programs such as Land for Maine’s Future, Land and Water Conservation Fund, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Coastal Estuarine Legacy Program and Forest Legacy.

Primer on different applications of easements and acquisition tools.

Phil Savignano – Trends is Eco-Tourism and Nature-Based Tourism and Practical Applications for Maine Review of recent research describing trends in eco-tourism and factors important to success in this realm.

Economic contributions of tourism in Maine and review of potential new growth areas.

Practical applications of this research to Maine and communities such as Searsport; key factors for success, pitfalls to be aware of, lessons learned from other places.

Overview of efforts by Fermata, Inc. and DECD to promote nature based tourism in Maine.

Maine in relation to the eastern U.S. and Canada in terms of tourism.

Shipping and Transportation Trends

We are waiting to receive an outline from David Gelinas regarding his presentation regarding shipping and transportation trends for the September 12th meeting. However at the end of David's presentation, Commissioner David Cole has offered to give a brief overview of three ongoing planning efforts/studies: 1) the Can-Am study; 2) an update of DOT's 5 year freight plan; and 3) formal review of the three port strategy. The outcome of these studies will shape DOT's plans for the future. He will hand out summaries and contact information for these studies at the meeting. As Commissioner Cole said at the last meeting, DOT does not have a specific plan for port development of Sears Island at this time.

Information on Culvert:
Answer from David Etnier of DMR:
DMR has no material on these subjects to share with the steering committee. Any info we have is anecdotal - essentially that we see no harm to the shellfish resource that would occur from the addition of culverts. There may well be a resultant benefit but we have no hard evidence to base that on. We have no knowledge related to how the frequency of dredging may be affected.

Answer from Amy Hughes of DOT:
When we discussed the culvert issue with staff here, they suggested that since the causeway has been in place for so long it is likely that it might be necessary to do some form of environmental study before any changes could be made. Affects on changing the existing long shore currents, silt deposition, impacts on clam flats, and containment of an oil spill at Mack Point would be issues that would need to be addressed. They believe that clam flats in Long Cove (Mack Point side of the causeway) are not open to fishing but the Stockton Harbor side is open. Any changes in the tidal flows that might impact these areas would have to be reviewed. At present the causeway probably does more to protect the clam flats in Stockton harbor than if the tidal flow were allowed through it, especially if there were ever a spill at Mack Point. There is also the issue of, if it (the culvert installation) can be done, should it be done, funding for the project, etc

Questions posed by Sears Island Initiative Education Sub-committee:

  1. When state highway funds were used to reimburse the FHWA, how was it structured?
  2. In the 1985 eminent domain “taking” by MDPT, what constituted the “public exigency” and what are the criteria today. Is there supporting documentation for the original taking citing the public exigency? (NOTE – Toni, I am assuming this was a friendly taking – whatever you can provide here would be helpful).
  3. Steering Committee would like copies of the permits issued to build the causeway.

Answers from Toni Kemmerle, DOT:
1. My understanding is that Maine DOT did not take state highway funds and use them to reimburse FHWA; rather, with FHWA's approval, Maine DOT used federal enhancement funds previously committed to Sears Island projects for other transportation enhancement projects.

2. The criteria for public exigency are the same today as they were in 1985. The State Legislature has delegated to Maine DOT eminent domain power for all of the transportation-related purposes set out in section 153 of Title 23. Inherent in this delegation is a determination by the legislature that a public exigency exists for transportation projects. The original taking of the terminal site was further sanctioned by a bond issue approved by the citizens of the state of Maine.

3. Given the passage of time (twenty years) and the fact that our older files have been archived, I cannot easily locate permitting relative to the construction of the causeway. The agencies that would have issued them are Maine DEP, the Army Corps of Engineers, and possibly EPA. They may well be a better source for this historical information.

Attachments:
Summary of the July 12th Steering Committee Meeting
Summary of the June 24th Public Participation Meeting