Towns Seek Input from Residents about Dams
"The Towns of Blue Hill, Orland, Penobscot, and Surry are seeking input from residents on the topic of the Alamoosook Lake and Toddy Pond dams. They are asking residents of those towns to complete a survey.
The survey https://bit.ly/alamtoddysurvey can also be found on each town’s website and Facebook page, as well as the websites and Facebook pages of both lake associations. The towns also invite residents to attend public input sessions in February. Each town will hold its own session where its residents will hear updates, have the opportunity to ask questions, talk with fellow residents, and provide input about ownership and management options for the dams.
The public input sessions are scheduled as follows (all scheduled for 6:00 – 7:30 PM):
Orland, February 5th at Alamoosook Lakeside Inn, 229 Soper Rd.
Surry, February 10th at Surry Elementary School, 754 North Bend Rd.
Blue Hill, February 12th at the Town Hall Auditorium, 18 Union St.
Penobscot, February 13th at Penobscot Community School, 66 North Penobscot Rd.
As reported previously, the current owner, Bucksport Mill LLC, has petitioned the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to be released from ownership of the dams and water level maintenance. On November 1, 2024, DEP accepted their petition. Each of the towns voted to participate in consultation with Bucksport Mill LLC to consider ownership. That consultation has begun. The first consultation period is for up to 180 days from the date of the petition but can be extended an additional 180 days, effectively providing towns until November 2025 to make any decisions. In the event that a new owner is not found for the dams, the DEP will issue an order requiring Bucksport Mill LLC to release the water from the dams.
A Committee recently formed that includes one select board member from Blue Hill, Orland, Penobscot, and Surry, and representatives from the two lake associations (Alamoosook and Toddy Pond). The towns and lake associations have secured various legal representation, and Committee members have reached out to their State representatives. With support from other legislators, Representatives Nina Milliken (D) (Blue Hill and Surry) and Steve Bishop (R) (Orland and Penobscot) are leading a bipartisan legislative effort. They have agreed to co-sponsor legislation that would allow the creation of a quasi-municipal entity, such as a watershed district. That entity would be authorized by the state to own the dams and assess tax revenue for maintenance and management purposes. (Such a “quasi-municipal” entity would be something like a school district or public utility district.)
Some residents would prefer that one of the State agencies, such as Maine Inland Fish & Wildlife (IFW) or the Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF), take ownership of the dams. In the event this does not happen the Committee felt it prudent to explore the legislative alternative. The timeline is short — late February is the deadline for getting draft language to the legislators. Therefore, the Committee seeks input from residents as soon as possible to guide their process of designing the proposed entity and outlining its charge. At the end of February, the legislators would use that language to craft legislation and then bring it to a legislative committee. Before the quasi-municipal organization created by the legislation can be implemented, town residents will be asked to vote on whether or not to participate.
Background news articles, the petitions themselves, and joint statements from the five affected towns, including Bucksport, can be found at this site: https://www.townofsurrymaine.com/town_government/silver_lake,_alamoosook___toddy_pond_dam_information.php.
For those unable to attend their town’s public input session, video recordings will be made available at the same link, as well as at the towns’ and lake associations’ websites. Residents of these four towns who are unable to attend are invited to submit questions in advance to alamlaketoddypond@gmail.com.
Responses will be incorporated into the public input session discussion and video recordings. As mentioned, residents may also provide input via the survey at https://bit.ly/alamtoddysurvey. For further information, please email any inquiries, also to alamlaketoddypond@gmail.com."
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