The Kennebec River Initiative held its outreach meetings in three locations. Each location was near to the area labeled by the KRI as one of three Reach sections of the river from its headwaters to the coast. The three Reaches are, Tidal (Phippsburg through Augusta), Central (Sidney/Vassalboro through Skowhegan), and Northern (Norridgewock to outlet at Moosehead Lake).

Each Reach Committee was asked to develop areas of interest that would fall under categories ranging from conservation/protection to development. With the information put together by each of these groups, the KRI hopes to formulate an action plan.

According to an update (pdf) I received from Josh Platt KRI coordinator, each group’s focus was different simply because of geographical, economic and major use issues, yet they all seemed to have a common theme.

All of the reach meetings were attended by some extremely knowledgeable and passionate participants who share an energy around protecting and enhancing the Kennebec corridor.

These committee meetings are hoped to be used to gather as much information from interested parties in order to put together the best plan. There is already beginning to show differences in opinions as to what should be done by this group.

The project has drawn a wide variety of interests in each of the three reaches. Stakeholders included landowners, town reps, business owners, professional guides, land trusts, State agency reps, and cultural specialists. We are using these contacts as resources to add more information to the maps.

All along the Kennebec, stakeholders stressed the value of a healthy and semi-wild river to local communities and the economy.

There was general agreement that the river was not being used as much as it could be; however, there were differences – both between reaches and among stakeholders in each reach – as to the carrying capacity of the river in terms of scenic/aesthetic enjoyment and profitability of the businesses that depend on the river. Consequently, the question of how to market the river for sustainable use will be an issue.

This differences will only grow bigger as time goes on. The length of the river and the varied uses will make for strange bedfellows in time. Just the make-up of the residents from beginning to end is quite varied. One can only expect major differences in opinions.

At each of the three meetings, participants began writing down locations on a map to pinpoint areas they thought should be looked at. Each of these areas were put into some kind of general classification made relatively common within each Reach. KRI then lumped these locations into four categories. 1.) Areas of protection, 2.) Remediate – things such as restoration, reclamation or erosion protection, etc., 3.) Access points, and 4.) Development areas.

The full report (pdf) lists these items more specifically within each reach.

What bothered me most about the report was the fact that at least from the perspective of reading the report, only one meeting, the Central Reach Group, discussed anything about property rights.

 Property rights issues were discussed as well as clustering development into appropriate areas near current development.

I find this approach disturbing and hope that this doesn’t or hasn’t become the norm for the Kennebec River Initiative. Groups can’t run roughshod over landowners to promote their agendas. It’s easy to stand up and say you would like to see this and that along the river but it is the landowners along the river that have certain property rights. Inevitably they are the ones who can make or break a project.

I think it is wonderful for this group or any other group to form and put together dreams and goals of how things could be, but to have these three meetings involving a minimum of 100+ people in attendance and to only have discussed property rights is quite troubling.

I’ll continue to watch this group as it evolves and hope that they can continue to bring in a unified community with common goals without alienating the landowners no matter how big or small.

Tom Remington

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