The “Way Life Should Be” doesn’t happen by magic. It happens because most of Maine is covered with forest. We need sustainability to maintain our forest. The British took the big trees and made masts for their ships because the trees were everywhere. Since then we have been pecking away at this resource that sustains us all. Our forests are slowly eroding up and down the east coast. Maine needs to protect our way of life and leave our forests to flourish.

Previously the state of Maine debated a proposal to build an east-west highway. The Maine Land Use Planning Commission recently debated the adjacency principle. Now the state is debating the Central Maine Power corridor.

Government scientists told the state’s climate council recently that the carbon-absorbing capacity of Maine’s vast forests could ease the road to meeting ambitious goals surrounding overall emissions of climate-warming pollution set by Gov. Janet Mills and the Legislature. Fall foliage industry also benefits from the vast forests present in Maine. And so do all of us.

Maine is the way life should be because of the trees. We need to keep the forest intact to maintain our Maine way of life. The tourists come to Maine to enjoy the forest and all it has to offer. We do not need a corridor of more electric wires to provide for our energy needs. We have many alternatives and need to pursue those that will maintain the sustainability of our Maine forest.

The enjoyment of the great outdoors depends on our stewardship. CMP needs to invest in these alternatives and leave the forests as they are to save our connection to the outdoors.

 

Mary Richards

Winthrop

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