From Waldo Village Soup  A friendly approachLocals who rely on Penobscot Bay forge partnership. By Tanya Mitchell | Oct 12, 2012

SEARSPORT — On a chilly and overcast afternoon Thursday, Oct. 4, residents and businesspeople of the Penobscot Bay region met on the Sears Island causeway to introduce a newly formed alliance aimed at cleaning up the local waterway.

Ron Huber, executive director of Penobscot Baywatch, joined forces with people like Sheila Dassatt of Belfast, who heads the Downeast Lobstermen's Association and fishes on the bay with her husband, Mike, and Searsport Shores Campground co-owners Astrig Tanguay to form the fledgling Friends of Penobscot Bay.

"There are thing happening here that affect the other end of the bay, and vice versa," said Huber during the press conference. 

Photo:  Sheila Dassatt of Belfast, second from left, head of the Downeast Lobstermen's Association, speaks during a press conference at the Sears Island causeway Thursday, Oct. 4.  Photo by Tanya Mitchell

Huber said the idea behind forming FOPB was to unify individuals and businesses who all depend on the bay to thrive so those parties may act collectively toward working with area businesses and industry to improve the health of the bay.

In a prepared statement provided to the media Thursday, Tanguay said her campground depends on the tourism industry, which she said is directly linked to the bay.

"Anecdotally, I know that our guests come to Searsport and the region because of the bay — a chance to kayak, hike, sail, pick mussels and eat lobster," she stated. "The state's research backs this up with numbers: The primary purpose of overnight leisure trips is outdoor recreation."

Tanguay went on to say the top four trip activities among Maine visitors are enjoying ocean views, resting and relaxing, outdoor activities (including fishing, sailing, kayaking and hiking) and shopping.

"When those of us who [live] here rely on the bay for sustenance, we must ask why our wild mussel beds and fin fish are at historically low levels," she said. "If we accept that we are all dependent on clean water, let's deal with the petroleum spills, waste dumps and tainted sediments in and around Pen Bay while they may still be manageable."

Dassatt, whose family has deep lobster-fishing roots in the region, said she and other lobster fishermen are working with the University of Maine in an effort to learn more about the shell disease that she said now appears in about one out of every 10 lobsters caught here. The study, said Dassatt, is aimed at learning whether the meat of those affected lobsters is safe to eat, and also to see if water pollution may be adversely impacting the bait used to capture Maine's best-known shellfish.

"Even for the fishermen who are handling the water, we're seeing things that we haven't seen before this year," she said. "Fishermen with open cuts come up with things that aren't healthy."

Specifically, she said, fishermen are developing blistering rashes and skin infections after being exposed to the bay water.

Huber said he hopes that by forming FOPB, all involved will have more resources to accomplish their bay-related goals, and in the end, all Maine residents will be better off.

"We want clean water so that people keep coming here," said Huber. "Someone has to speak for the bay, not just one town or another town."

Sears Island - dredging of island approaches may rise again

Sometimes it's what they DON'T write that matters.....
In a recent Belfast Republican Journal article: Port funding shift makes waves as state looks to trim budget Searsport area politicians decry the loss of funding they say was for improving Mack Point: the reporter writes:

"The funding would deepen the channel there to allow the terminal to accommodate larger and more modern ships. It follows the improvement of the pier system at Mack Point. "

Well, that sure omits something...

Using that federal stimulus funding for dredging the approaches to Sears Island was very much on the legislators' and MDOT's minds . You wouldn't know that from the RepJournal story though.

Proof? Listen to a 7 minute audio excerpt from the March 13, 2009 meeting of ME legislature's Transportation Committee. In the recording, Commissioner Cole talks about using $timulus money for dredging near Sears island. Not right up to intertidal, but the approaches to the island - which are fish nursery shoals, too. Below is an excerpt of a transcript from the above recording of the March 13, '09 Transportation Committee hearing. At this point, Commissioner Cole has been describing uses of federal stimulus money around the state:

Cole "Searsport. Currently the Army Corps of Engineers has been doing the engineering on dredging that marine channel. That marine channel serves Mack Point but it also serves Sears Island as well. It's estimated we would need 4 1/2 million to match 16 1/2 million in federal Army Corps investment to dredge that harbor."

"That would dredge it down from 35 to 40 feet at low tide. If you go into Mack Point and Sears Island, both would need that kind of depths to optimize their ability to bring the bigger ships in ."

Representative Hogan. "But if you got an investor for the port wouldn't that be their responsiblity. Or are we talkikng about something different?"

Cole. "This is like a highway its a designated marine channel Typically the expense of dredging that goes with the federal government and the state government."

Senator Damon: "It would also be servicing the existing facility at Mack Point, wouldn't it?"

Cole: "Right. This is the channel. I'm not saying if...... Right on shore, if they need dredging that might be the responsibility of the developer. Dockside. This is the general channel coming in and out."
End of Excerpt

that is the plan. How disappointing that the Republican Journal-ist left the Sears Island part out of her article! Moral of the story - besides don't trust what you read in the papers - is that if we can succeed in keeping that stimulus money up where it's NEEDED in Eastport, it won't be spent in Searsport where it's NOT NEEDED (though wanted). Sears Island will continue to be safe; no developer wants to have to spend millions on dredging - leave that to the taxpayers!

A determined effort by the people of Eastport and Baileyville will keep that money up there, and thus keep Penobscot Bay safe.