FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to withdraw their support for a $30 million Maine trail bond supported by Natural Resources Council of Maine.
Commissioners will resubmit the nomination of Thomas “Tom” DuBois of Salem Township in August to represent Franklin County on the state’s Land Use Planning Commission for the unorganized territory.
DuBois was one of three candidates to apply for the position. After interviews, commissioners selected DuBois, a retired engineer from Main-Land Development Consultants in Livermore Falls where he worked for many years.
It was discovered that the Natural Resources Council of Maine opposed the appointment of DuBois to the Land Use Planning Commission, Franklin County Commissioner Robert “Bob” Carlton of Freeman Township said.
Environmental advocates and an Augusta lawmaker also raised concerns to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
The legislative committee voted 7-5 against endorsing DuBois’ nomination before sending it to the Maine Senate, which took the rare step of sending the nomination back to the committee, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Ultimately, DuBois was not appointed.
The Land Use Planning Commission is a nine-member board with planning and zoning authority in the state’s unorganized and deorganized territories, where there’s no formal municipal government.
Franklin County commissioners want DuBois on the commission before a February vote on a proposed Penobscot County project.
The commission is reviewing an application from Wolfden Chase Mt. LLC of Canada to reclassify 374 acres to allow for metallic mineral mining.
According to the Portland Press Herald, several people who testified before the committee Monday did not object to DuBois’ nomination to the commission or say that he lacked experience or qualifications. But they said they were concerned about the upcoming vote and that Dubois has missed many meetings, hearings and background information on the mining proposal.
Wolfden said Pickett Mountain has the country’s largest undeveloped reserves of a type of ore that contains high-grade zinc and smaller but still commercially valuable amounts of copper, lead, silver and gold, according to the Portland Press Herald.
The site is about 20 miles east of Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin on land considered sacred to the Wabanaki Nation.
Franklin County commissioners previously heard from Marc Edwards of Strong, a regional outreach coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. The organization is trying to get a bond passed connected to trails in Maine.
Commissioner Carlton said one week the Natural Resources Council of Maine was asking for support of trail bond and then the next “stabbed us” in the back, and didn’t care that DuBois was the nominee to represent Franklin County.
He said he has heard from local legislators who plan to pull their support for the trails bond because of the way DuBois was treated and the actions taken by the council and legislators.
Dozens of towns, organizations and businesses have signed on to support the effort that would establish a $30 million trails bond that would provide grants to support nonmotorized, motorized and multi-use trails, according to Edwards.
Edwards spoke to the Jay Select Board earlier this month. Jay voted to support the trails bond.
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