Recently, Bangor city councilors unanimously approved the creation of a citizen’s advisory group to help resolve conflicts involving the Penjajawoc marsh. They also approved a state study to evaluate the status of the marsh and stream near the Bangor Mall. Both are long overdue, the importance of which was reiterated by last week’s announcement that another mall is planned near the marsh.

For years little attention was paid to the marshy area west of Stillwater Avenue. Then, a Super Wal-Mart was proposed next to the marsh. Suddenly, the Penjajawoc was hailed as a birders paradise and an ecotourism magnet. The Wal-Mart project was denied then approved by the city’s planning board after a court battle. Last year, the project was rejected by the state Board of Environmental Protection and the plans were dropped. In the meantime, a landowner put “No Trespassing” signs on land that allowed access to the marsh and beaver dams were breached – twice – presumably to drain the marsh.

With emotions running high on the sides of both the landowners and environmentalists, who formed Bangor Area Citizens Organized for Responsible Development, it was clear that something needed to be done.

Finally, it has.

The charge to the advisory group is to find ways to balance ecological preservation with economic development. This is not an easy task, but meeting together has to be more productive than cutting holes in beaver dams and filing lawsuits. There are signs that the groups can work together. A recent request to re-zone 50 acres near the mall and marsh was granted, with the stipulation that any development would be set back 600 feet from the Penjajawoc.

Beyond the Penjajawoc, the 15-member group is to find ways to improve connections between the marsh and the city forest. This, too, is overdue. The forest, with its myriad trails, could be a recreational resource for the city. A nearby sporting goods store, for example, could offer rental equipment and classes for, say, novice cross-country skiers and mountain bikers. As part of this effort, the city should determine what the users of the forest want. Do they want trees cut or are they willing to forgo the income from timber harvesting for a more natural forest? Do they want more paved trails? A recent survey of municipal golf course users that informed the management of that city-owned resource provides a model for collecting and using such information.

The second marsh-related endeavor the city council approved is a study of the marsh, funded largely by the state. The study will, for the first time, assess the current status of the watershed and recommend ways to improve its water quality without halting development in the area.

Both efforts fit nicely with review of the city’s comprehensive plan, which is slated to begin soon. The last version of the plan, completed in 2000, designates the area as prime development space. Based on the study and advisory group’s recommendations, that designation might need to be altered.

A few years ago, few people knew what the Penjajawoc was. Now, Bangor officials have laid the groundwork for understanding and, where appropriate, protecting it.