I am a big supporter of Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect project. I think it will do wonders for Maine’s economy, help lower our bills, and provide clean, renewable hydropower, which will begin to address the threat of climate change in the Northeast.

I’ve heard a claim from opponents of the project that has really gotten under my skin because it’s simply not true. The notion that new corridor runs through any pristine forest is ridiculous. My guess is a high percentage of the “Stop the Corridor” folks who say this project will ruin Maine forever have never actually seen the forest the corridor will go through.

This land has been harvested for lumber for years and years. In some cases, it has already been either clear-cut or stripped. There are dirt roads, logging roads, log yards, and trails. Frankly, this is not some of Maine’s most scenic land.

Building this corridor will not forever destroy Maine’s landscape. Maine has more than 17 million acres of trees. The NECEC project will affect less than a thousand. That’s less than .01 percent of all the acres of trees in Maine. Are we really going to say no to a project that costs Maine nothing and provides us major financial and environmental benefits over a fraction of trees and concerns that some people’s views will be negatively impacted?

It’s time for us to all see the forest through the trees.

 

Adam Desrosiers

Winthrop

 


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