Citizen Letter to Searsport Selectboard
April 16, 2023
Members of the Searsport Select Board,
We are Searsport residents writing to request your support for locating the proposed wind port facility at Mack Point and to demonstrate this support by writing same to Governor Mills, MEDOT Commissioner and DEP Board Members.
The option to build out at Mack Point is plausible per MDOT. We firmly support this option and strongly oppose any destruction or degradation of ecosystems on Sears Island inclusive of forests, fields, wetlands, vernal pools, sand dunes, eel grass or habitat for over 220 migratory bird species, wildlife, and marine life .
We encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the following informational sources which were used in preparation of this letter:
1. May 2023 Islesboro Select Board Statement
2. April 2024 Letter from the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
3. 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report
Utilization of Mack Point requires no degradation or destruction of precious natural resources and sensitive ecosystems currently present on Sears Island; especially those located at the site of the proposed 100 acre building site.
Wind power is certainly instrumental in providing clean energy and curbing the dangerous effects of high carbon emissions and climate change.
Did you realize that in keeping our ecosystems intact we may outperform wind energy in fighting climate change? In 2023 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported: “retaining intact ecosystems is more useful to fight climate change than wind projects”.
They added that “pursuing Sears Island as a wind port facility would lead to years of litigation and delay” for off shore wind in Maine.
Searsport has not only a unique opportunity but the responsibility to provide for the protection of our natural resources in order to lessen impacts of climate change. To ignore the science would be highly irresponsible and represent a complete abandonment of principles available to us to help protect the earth for future generations.
In consideration of benefits, the State of Maine and the Town of Searsport are fortunate to have the space at Mack Point to build out on an industrially zoned location. Road, rail, electricity, and water are present and need only to be expanded, a plus for taxpayers for sure. Job opportunities would be present at either location. The negative impacts of noise and lighting would be confined from a single origin, not spread out, magnified and dispersed across the water to residents living close the shores.
We also must do our best to provide continued public access for recreational use, as that gives the Town notoriety, financial benefit and stimulus for growth.
In closing, we as Maine residents should remember and respect Maine’s strong environmental heritage as championed by leaders such as Senator Muskie and Governor Baxter. Let’s demonstrate our appreciation for their hard work to set standards for clean air and water and to protect our natural resources from exploitation by following their example and the principles of science.
We can choose a wind port facility at Mack Point and the protection of our natural resources and ecosystems. We can make an even greater contribution in fighting climate change.
We thank you for your consideration.
