Worst kind of economic development

There are a number of interesting misconceptions and odd ideas circulating about the Penjajawoc Marsh, particularly from a small group of superstore enthusiasts who refer to the marsh as a “swamp” and apparently view the marsh’s remarkable wildlife population as inconvenient interlopers.

The response by Cindy DeBeck (Feb. 11 letter) to Dr. Erik Steele’s

Jan. 21 op-ed column on the Penjajawoc Marsh contains a number of such assertions and ideas that are not supported by the scientific or historical evidence. She and a small number of other area residents claim the marsh was only recently created by beavers that were somehow transported there from Veazie by unnamed game wardens some years ago.

This rather humorous idea flies in the face of scientific testimony during the Board of Environmental Protection hearings. Professor Aram Calhoun, wetlands ecologist at the University of Maine, testified that Maine has been undergoing a recovery in the beaver population over the past few decades, after they were almost exterminated in the 1700s by the fur trade. She also testified that the Penjajawoc Marsh area is, in fact, “ideal beaver habitat,” which is directly connected to several thousand acres of forest and marsh, stretching from Bangor to Alton – the Caribou Bog.

DeBeck states further that the beaver dam has “deteriorated,” thus causing the marsh to shrink back to the original brook. This is not true. The marsh has been significantly dewatered, but not as completely as she claims. And this occurred not because the beaver dam “deteriorated” or because beavers ran out of aspen trees.

The Penjajawoc drained because a few individuals decided to “protect” the marsh by deliberately and illegally tampering with the beaver dam and a section of the railroad bed early last summer, at the height of nesting season for several endangered and threatened bird species. Law enforcement authorities have undertaken actions that will require the persons responsible to repair the damage that they caused, although they can never of course replace the very large number of young birds which did not survive this attack on the integrity of the marsh. If and when the responsible parties complete these repairs, the water levels in the marsh will gradually return to where they were in early June 2002, and actually long before then. In fact, recent evidence suggests that the water in the marsh has already risen at least one foot since the lowest water levels in August and September.

Historical photos of the marsh show the lines of drainage ditches created by area landowners several decades ago, proving this area has always been a wet marsh. Indeed, the elevated nature of the original Veazie Railroad bed through this area suggests the low-lying land on either side was probably also marshy when the railroad was first built. Without further destructive human intervention, the Penjajawoc’s richness and diversity of bird species, known to birders across the country and even internationally, will return through the natural processes of this marsh ecosystem.

It is also simply untrue to suggest that the testimony of BACORD and Maine Audubon Society experts regarding the negative impacts of a proposed giant superstore on the Penjajawoc ecosystem and its wildlife was discredited by the BEP. In fact, several BEP members agreed with the conclusion of the initial BEP draft order, which explicitly stated that the proposed development would have an unduly adverse impact on the Penjajawoc Marsh.

Those who feel that a 224,000-square-foot store and 1,000-car parking lot will not have a major and permanent negative impact on the Penjajawoc Marsh area should drive across the Penobscot River to view the superstore now under construction in Brewer. If that store seems enormous by itself, try enlarging it by another 50 percent, and then try to envision this gargantuan behemoth wedged between Gilman Road, Circuit City and the Penjajawoc Marsh.

There must be a better way to do economic development than this. Some alternative forms of development could certainly happen in this area that would not pose the kind of environmental problems resulting from a 24-hour giant superstore. Having some form of consultation and direct discussions among the various parties and interested groups could be a good first step to addressing the current impasse over the future of the Penjajawoc Marsh.

Valerie Carter and Robert Milardo are on the steering committee of Bangor Area Citizens Organized for Responsible Development. Dr. Milardo testified as an expert witness for BACORD during the state BEP hearings on the proposed Widewaters-Wal-Mart development in Bangor last summer.