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Sierra Club Grassroots Email Express

March 21, 2006

Volume 4  No. 5

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PROTECT THE ALLAGASH WILDERNESS WATERWAY

Ask the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee to Oppose LD2077

THE ISSUE

LD 2077 has just been introduced into the legislature and would erode the wilderness character of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Urge members of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee to oppose LD 2077.  There are 3 ways you can do this - please consider doing one or all of the following:

1.   Speak at the public hearing on LD 2077 on Friday, March 24, 9AM, in the Augusta Civic Center, Fort Western Room. 

2.   Call the state message lines and leave a voice message for members of the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee. Please leave a message on both lines:

To leave a message for state senators call 1-800-423-6900.

 To leave a message for state representatives call 1-800-423-2900.

MESSAGE POINT: Maine should uphold the intent of the original Allagash Act to manage the Allagash for "maximum wilderness character" by standing by the 2002 Memo of Agreement and the 2003 River Drivers Agreement.

 3.  Email or write a letter to the members of the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee (listed below) by March 24. Legislators are most likely to read your email if it is short and personal.

Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture,

Conservation and Forestry

http://janus.state.me.us/house/jt_com/acf.htm

Senator John M. Nutting (D-Androscoggin), Chair

SenJohn.Nutting@legislature.maine.gov

Senator Bruce S. Bryant (D-Oxford)

SenBruce.Bryant@legislature.maine.gov

Senator Kevin L. Raye (R-Washington)

SenatorRaye@downeast.net

Representative John F. Piotti (D-Unity), Chair

piotti@uninets.net

Representative Jacqueline A. Lundeen (D-Mars Hill)

RepJackie.Lundeen@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Joanne T. Twomey (D-Biddeford)

RepJoanne.Twomey@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Rodney C. Jennings (D-Leeds)

RepRod.Jennings@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Roderick W. Carr (R-Lincoln)

RepRod.Carr@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Arlan R. Jodrey (R-Bethel)

arlan@megalink.net

Representative Roger L. Sherman (R-Hodgdon)

RepRoger.Sherman@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Patrick S. A. Flood (R-Winthrop)

RepPatrick.Flood@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Donald G. Marean (R-Hollis)

RepDon.Marean@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Peter Edgecomb (R-Caribou)

RepPeter.Edgecomb@legislature.maine.gov

Mailing Address:

Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

100 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333-0100

KEY POINTS YOU CAN INCLUDE IN YOUR EMAIL or LETTER

·         Many agreements have been made during the past six years pertaining to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Those are still being implemented. This bill is unnecessary and undermines those carefully crafted compromises. It should be rejected.

·         LD 2077 would rollback progress made on improving wilderness stewardship of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

·         We need to stay true to the:

-1966  Allagash Act, which was overwhelmingly approved by Maine voters

-1970  "Wild" designation of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway under Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

-2002  Memo of Agreement between the State of Maine & National Park Service regarding Allagash management changes

-2003  River Drivers Agreement to make additional improvements in Allagash management

·         PLEASE personalize your letter and share why this issue is important to you.

 BACKGROUND

In 2002, the State of Maine signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the National Park Service to settle the violations involved with reconstructing Churchill Dam in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway without a federal permit. In 2003, a stakeholders group signed a consensus document called the River Drivers Agreement, to implement some of the provisions of the MOA and to resolve other contentious issues involving the Allagash. LD 2077 undermines both the MOA and the River Drivers Agreement.

Citizens need to urge members of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee to oppose LD 2077. Instead, Maine should uphold the intent of the original Allagash Act to manage the Allagash for "maximum wilderness character" by standing by the 2002 Allagash Memo of Agreement and the 2003 River Drivers Agreement.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact Leanne Krudner at (207) 761-5616 or maine.chapter@sierraclub.org