CARRABASSETT VALLEY – The select board declined to take action on a letter opposing the proposal for a National Wildlife Refuge in Maine’s High Peaks during their meeting Monday night.
Bob Carlton presented a letter opposing the refuge, which has been presented to several other communities in Franklin County in the last few weeks. The select board heard from Carlton, Eustis selectperson Steve St. Jean, from Paul Casey with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and from Nancy Perlson, a local conservation advocate who is working with the USFWS on the refuge proposal. In addition, the board heard brief statements from the Carrabassett Valley residents who are part of the stakeholder group organized by the USFWS and Perlson, who are helping inform the development of a formal proposal.
Town Manager Dave Cota corresponded with town representatives in Errol, New Hampshire, which includes part of the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge. He also corresponded with representatives from the snowmobile club in Errol.
Carrabassett resident Tim Flight is on the stakeholder board. He said he doesn’t have an opinion on the proposal yet because there is no formal proposal. He has a lot of questions, and he is still looking for answers. He agreed with a couple points in the letter presented by Carlton, about maintaining local control and protecting local interests, and said that is one of the goals of the stakeholder group.
“We are extremely sensitive to another entity coming in and saying what we can do with our land. I shouldn’t say we; I should say me,” selectperson Lloyd Cuttler said. He added that he hears similar concerns from residents.
“As a selectman in this town, this is a clear and present danger,” Cuttler continued, adding that he does want to follow the process through and see what the proposal looks like before taking a stance.
Board chair Bob Luce said he has ‘severe apprehensions’ about this and asked “How do we have local control about what happens in that refuge?” He asked if the USFWS could develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the towns impacted by a refuge that would allow the communities to give input into the management of the refuge.
Selectperson John Beaupre said, “I’m not comfortable saying no to this tonight.”
“I think our community wants to know more.”
Beaupre added that he is leery of the proposal.
The board did not take any action to support or oppose the refuge.
