Conservation IS Climate Action!

Intact forests and ecosystems are the best tools for mitigating climate change, according to a report by the International Panel on Climate Change.  The State of Maine’s Carbon Budget, Version 2.0 identifies forestland as the most significant factor removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration .  Maine is, as of June 2024, nearly reaching its carbon-neutral goals ahead of the 2025 projections. The bulk of the carbon sequestration measured and confirmed in the reduction data comes from Maine’s forests. Destroying forested acres and carbon sequestering wetlands for wind power is counterproductive.

Sears Island protects the Penobscot Bay Estuary

The late succession forests naturally cool stream and bay waters and support natural fisheries, including cod nurseries, lobster, clam beds, and migrating fish including Atlantic salmon and sturgeon.  Decades of collaborative work have gone into restoring the native fish runs on the Penobscot River, and conserving the entire Island enhances and supports those efforts.

Wasted Taxpayer Dollars for Developing Sears Island

Efforts to develop Sears Island have cost taxpayers over $24 million over the years. The State of Maine has already spent over $4 million on the current wind port effort; a project which is not supported by a majority of the community, is unlikely to meet the regulatory hurdles, and relies on technology that is untested.

Sears Island is a critical stopover for migrating birds

Its contiguous, mature ecosystems are rare, and highly sensitive to disruption. Because of their age and biodiversity, the forests and wetlands in 2025 sequester 88,750 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of 74,000 cars per year. By 2050 they will sequester 96,685 metric tons according to the Nature Conservancy’s land use mapping tool. These ecosystems provide habitat for endangered and rare plant, animal, bird and marine species, including at least 20 vulnerable species. Sears island is historically known as a critical stopover for migratory birds.

Sears Island Provides Unparalleled Recreational Access and Educational Opportunities

According to a study by the Friends of Sears Island (FOSI), Sears Island provides a tremendous economic boon to the region by attracting local and non-local visitors who stop at local businesses to eat or shop.

Importance Historically and Currently to Wabanaki People

Sears Island was originally called wahsumkik (“shining beach”) by the Penobscot Nation. Wahsumkik was an important navigation beacon for Penobscots paddling their birchbark canoes around Penobscot Bay. After portaging across the neck of Cape Jellison, paddlers were guided to wahsumkik by the sight of the sand beach, eliminating a long paddle around two bodies of land that jut out into Penobscot Bay. Archaeological records confirm that Penobscot People started camping on the island over 3,400 years ago, using it as a base for hunting, fishing, and resting along paddling routes.