With DOT support, discuss Sears Island

Maine Transportation Commissioner David Cole says he would rather be cursed now then cursed later. How poignant. The citizens of Penobscot Bay would rather preserve a jewel than try to reclaim an industrialized site two generations from now. The difference between these points of view is that the Maine Department of Transportation has the weight of big business and the citizens have their grass-roots efforts. Sears Island is the battleground.

World shifts in economic vision alter the value of Sears Island. Not long ago, deep water and shore access meant unbridled expansion and an industrialized economic base. Today the same real estate is valued as an economic resource because “quality of life” is the attribute that brings sustainable development to a region.

If a region is to prosper, access to outdoor recreation opportunities and good cultural resources are key factors when businesses look to re-locate or establish enterprises that offer good paying, interesting jobs. Has anyone noted that people don’t leave Maine to work in a factory? Today’s work force is looking for jobs that utilize their creativity; moving information and designing products are where it’s at. Economic revitalization stems from investment in high speed Internet, not cargo transportation.

When Gov. Baldacci spoke at the Creative Economy Conference in Lewiston, he took special note of cultural tourism and Maine’s well-established sense of place. During his keynote, he reminded us that “Recognizing the creative economy is recognizing that Maine is becoming a magnet, and we can grow by becoming a place that people want to live. We want our youth to live in Maine – we want to invest in arts and culture that will make them want to live here. Entrepreneurs move to Maine because of our lakes and our ocean – we want to invest in natural resources so that we will always be a magnet for those individuals who will become economic engines themselves. We are excited to be a magnet for immigration.”

Since the mid-’90s, numerous Searsport, Penobscot Bay and Maine residents have envisioned a multi-attraction destination for Sears Island. These far-ranging plans build upon our current regional economy while supporting and protecting tomorrow’s prosperity – exactly the creative economic approach our governor embraces. Our broad coalition is developing plans for a three-node facility: (1) an environmental education campus not unlike Chewonki but with a Penobscot-specific curriculum that can also function as a modest-sized, eco-friendly conference center; (2) a Penobscot Nation cultural center depicting the long and very place-sensitive history of these first-peoples.

This center would be filled with art lessons and lectures encouraging visitors to see the world around them in a Maine specific way; and (3) a Pen Bay heritage center that augments the Penobscot Marine Museum and provides a richer, more diverse experience of this region’s cultural heritage. Around this facility, the public will find interpretive trails, wildlife preserves and shore access. These same discussions lead to fishing piers, a small marina and other marina related outgrowth.

Thinking about Sears Island as two fragments, one of 240 (or 280) acres and the other of 700 (or 660) acres, each independent of the other, is outdated thinking. It is impossible to fully explore the creative development possibilities of one segment without having some idea as to likely development on the adjoining segment. Moreover, this approach to comprehensive planning forces Searsport to live under a shadow of the unknown.

If you could invest in two pieces of property, one in view of a potential, heavily industrialized site and the other in view of a cultural heritage center and wildlife preserve … which would you pay a higher price for? Would you move your family to a place guaranteed to be at risk for environmental disasters or would you choose a place as far from the noise, water and air pollution as you could find? Setting aside a significant number of acres for some unknown future port development is a huge investment, is inconsistent with public interests and, at the very least, needs to be part of an open discussion process.

The coalition’s plan is not vague or “pie in the sky.” The ideas are based on solid numbers and seek to enhance rather than distort the communities that surround Penobscot Bay. It isn’t news that tourism is Maine’s strongest and most vigorous economic sector. David Vail, Bowdoin professor of economics, pointed out in a recent report that 44 million tourists spend more than $5.5 billion a year here and that, “All Maine tourism is dependent directly on the state’s outstanding natural attractions or indirectly on the state’s natural and cultural heritage.”

In view of the long and contentious history of Sears Island, I believe a permanent plan is critical. Gov. Baldacci agreed with this approach during meetings at the State House. Remember, Searsport already has “a modern, efficient and expandable dry cargo terminal that can handle existing and future cargo needs” at Mack Point. This from the DOT 2001 permit application to Army Corps of Engineers. DOT is, in fact, right now considering expanding port activities here.

We’ve all heard of the elusive three- port plan in Maine. Isn’t Commissioner Cole trying to add a fourth port? It’s time to put this contention to rest, once and for all. With DOT’s support, let’s discuss the future of the entire island, considering every possibility. Certainly we all agree that any acceptable solution must enrich citizens’ lives, preserve the natural and cultural resources of Sears Island, and improve and

diversify the regional economy.

Astrig Tanguay is a resident of Searsport who owns Searsport Shores Ocean Camping.