Rockland Harbor Mgmt Commission meeting 4/24/18 AUDIO

On April 24, 2018, the Rockland Harbor Commission met in the city council chamber to discuss maintenance of the municipal fish pier,  review the SHIP/YS meeting, a petition relating to the anchorage plan, a new initiative for a cruise ship moratorium - and more!

1. Introduction 86sec

2. Fish Pier Report 3min 10sec

3. SHIP & petitions  6min 3sec

4. Harbor news: wider dock at south end boat ramp, Harbor pk docks FRAMM visit 4min 35sec

5. Cruise Ships Moratorium Pt 1  8min 32sec

6. Cruise Ships Moratorium Part 2 10min 25sec

7 Cruise ships Moratorium Part 3. 10min 30sec

8 Cruise ships moratorium Part4 10min 51sec  (fixed)

9 Cruise ship moratorium part 5

10. Cruise ship moratorium part 6  12min

11 Discussion of unnamed backers of moratorium; SHIP's inclusion in harbor planning.  10min 50sec

12   Middle Pier baked goods seller applicant John McGuire, to meeting end   13min 20sec

Nordic Aquafarms gets Belfast zoning change approved over objections of citizenry

Despite overwhelming community opposition at the 4/17/18 public hearing (listen below), Belfast's city council approved changing a protected drinking water forest into an industrial zone, so that Nordic Aquafarms could pursue its application process in state, federal, and municipal venues.  Listen to speakers at Nordic's 2/ 21/18 public meeting

1 Intro_Mayor Paradis 1min49sec

2 Matthew Scalla_1min45sec.

3_Barbara Maria_2min52sec\

4_Paul Bernacki_3min50sec.

5_George Mendel_2min15sec.

6_Deb Capwell_3min

7_John Krueger_Northport_3min.

8_Joanna Mosswilde_3min10sec.

9_Ellie Daniels_3min10sec

10_Ernie Cooper_1min20sec

11_Jim_Merkel_3min.

12_Jan_Dodge_2min10sec

13_Dorothy O'Dell_2min45sec

14_Jeff_Flimlin of Rutgers_3min2sec.

15_Jackie Curtis 3min13sec

16_Dirk Faegre 2min47sec

17_Wendy Watson 3min13sec

18 Natalie Charles_1min34sec

19  Theodore Weaver 2min27sec

20 Katherine Robin_3min

21 Tom King 3min9sec.

22 Steve Ryan 2min50sec

23 Donna Broderick 3min12sec

Chart from earlier meeting

24_Ridgely Fuller 3min7sec

25 Lane Fisher 2min40sec

26 Sid Block 2min45sec

27 Elizabeth Chase 3min

28 Paul Carlson 3min17sec.

New England coastlines as juvenile cod habitat

On January 3, 2018, the New England Fishery Management Council designated new Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC)for inshore jvenile cod. NOAA  feature article on the HAPC  * **   NOAA's HAPC  IJAC Habitat types defined w/photos (pdf)

The HAPC applies to areas of gravelly, rocky or vegetated habitats and adjacent sandy areas in coastal waters from Maine to Rhode Island, from the high tide line out to the 20 meters depth contour.

INTERTIDAL HAPC HABITATS

1. Pebble-gravel pavement (left) and cobble/boulder pavement with macroalgae (right)

2. Cobble/boulder pavement (not including groin). 

3. Cobble/boulder pavement (borderline “scattered”). 

4. Scattered cobble boulders

5. Pebble-gravel pavement (bottom), scattered cobble left, sand and pebble-gravel (top).

SUBTIDAL HAPC HABITATS                        6. Pebble-gravel pavement

7. Scattered boulders/cobble, but underlying pebble-gravel pavement.

8. Scattered” boulders, with underlying pebble-gravel pavement.

9. “Scattered” boulders/cobble and pebble-gravel patches. 

10. Pebble-gravel pavement (middle), mixed gravel right-top and left-bottom. 

Defined as pavement unless sampling determines less than 10% pebble-gravel content.

11. Pebble-gravel and cobble pavement area.

12. Sand with low percentage pebble-gravel content. 

LAND BASED IMPACTS

2016  NEFMC List of adverse impacts to these shallow waters.

Inshore juvenile atlantic cod habitat area defined

NEFMC staff infolved with HAPCs 

Michelle Bachman (lead)NEFMC fishery analyst  mbachman@nefmc.org   978/465-0492 ext 120

*  Andy Applegate (asst) NEFMC Ecosystem based fishery management   (978) 465-0492 (ext. 114)  email: aapplegate@nefmc.org

While not rare in the Gulf of Maine, these habitats need special protection for three reasons:
* They provide young-of-the-year and year-old cod shelter from predators and important feeding habitat.
* They are particularly sensitive to human activities.
* They are also important habitats for many other fish.

These places need to be located and documented so that govt decisionmakers can block would-be coastal development projects that would send sending polluted runoff and silt into these areas. Join a mapping team this spring and summer!

AMTRAK to Rockland plan would use loudest, worst polluting RR engines allowed.

From an alert sent out by RENEW Rockland, 

The Amtrak Downeaster service has been proposed to extend to Rockland.   AT ISSUE that the Amtrak trains that would head to Rockland are dirtier worse polluters

According to local environmental NGO Renew Rockland, and the US EPA they would be some of the oldest and dirtiest trains allowed by law. Further, they will bring  significant noise, fumes and vibrations to the Rockland residential neighborhood that they will terminate in.

Dirty Engines US EPA regulates emissions from locomotives It has 5 tiers of emission standards that a train must meet - Tiers 0 though 4. The Amtrak trains that they will run to Rockland are Tier 0: the worst. 

 RENEW Rockland has been voicing concerns for sev eral months about the dirty trains  Including Rockland city councilors and the City Manager.

"Everyone who we’ve spoke with has expressed understanding and agreement that these are serious concerns." a member of Renew Rockland said.  But we have just found out that the City Council, by way of our City Manager, has sent a letter to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) expressing the City's“full support” of the new service. 

"There is no mention of idling concerns in this letter - there is no request for mitigation of impact from noise or fumes — nothing at all has been asked from this company, in return for the City’s support" The Renew Rockland said. 

There has also been no commitment made by NNEPRA to take any steps to limit exposure to residents from fumes or noise. They have not even committed to follow similar, and minimal, protocol that the Eastern service had (backing out of the residential neighborhood in between pick-up/drop-off of passengers) to ensure that any idling is kept to a minimum. 

There are some very simple steps that they could take to significantly cut down on residential exposure — and with relatively minor investment they could greatly reduct impact —  but unless the City makes requirements of their operation, we are left with little to no protection or regulations to protect us from impact on our health and homes.

Concerned about the lack of public process in regards to this issue? — please send a letter to council (you can send it to Stuart Sylvester our City Clerk : ssylvester@rocklandmaine.gov ).

Also  The NNEPRA board is seeking public comment for the February 26th board meeting. **** Please consider writing them a letter if you have any concerns at all about this service that you would like to see addressed, please email the board directly (below) and ‘cc the Executive Director, Patricia Quinn (Patricia@nnepra.com).

John	Melrose	melrose2004@roadrunner.com
David	Bernhardt	david.bernhardt@maine.gov
Dana	Connors	dana.f.connors@mainechamber.org
George	Gervais	george.gervais@maine.gov
Brian	Hobart	bhobart733@gmail.com
Charles	Large	Charles@PointToPointBusinessSpecialists.com
Ronald	McKinnon	Charles@PtPBS.com