Allagash waterway meeting Sunday

FORT KENT – Northern Maine supporters of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway will have a chance Sunday to bring concerns about their river to the commissioner of the Department of Conservation.

In a related matter, the department’s Bureau of Parks and Lands has extended the period for public comment on proposed revisions to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Management Plan. The comment period was to have closed today but now will remain open until Friday, April 28.

The public meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday in Fox Auditorium at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, Sen. John L. Martin, D-Eagle Lake, said Wednesday. Commissioner Patrick McGowan and David Soucy, director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands, will be in attendance. Martin said some members of the AWW Advisory Council also will attend.

Access to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway has been a hot issue for residents of northern Maine. They have felt left out of negotiations for a long time. Friends of the Allagash, a grass-roots committee, has been formed to fight what is perceived as the largely southern Maine influence on a river that has been a traditional source of recreation and work for northern Maine residents.

“It’s a session for local people to talk directly to the commissioner,” Martin said. “It’s to discuss access issues to the waterway.

“I just felt it is a long way for people of northern Maine to come to Augusta for meetings,” he said. “It’s time to get to the bottom of issues, and the commissioner has a far better sense of the issues than anyone.”

Martin said he and Rep. Troy Jackson, D-Fort Kent, set up the meeting after attending meetings of Friends of the Allagash.

He said most issues revolve around access, traditional access points between Twin Brooks, near the terminus of the waterway, and Umsaskis Lake, just below Chase Rapids.

There are reports that engineers are already at work on plans to stop access at Umsaskis Lake. Melford Pelletier, an official of Friends of the Allagash, said Umsaskis has been a traditional access point.

Martin said access along the river from Twin Brooks to Michaud Farm has been a thorn in the side of traditional northern Maine users.

“Some access has been cut off,” Martin said. “Some was done by mistake, and some was intentional.

“It’s been going on since 1999,” Martin said. “There are also concerns with access at the bridge at Henderson.

“Local people, at the terminus of the waterway, have not had much of an opportunity to participate because meetings have been far [away],” Martin said. “I just felt we ought to be giving them information.

The coming weekend was the perfect opportunity. McGowan and others were scheduled to be in northern Maine for the annual Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race at Fort Kent.

McGowan, according to Martin, invited members of the AWW Advisory Council to attend as well. That includes people who also were involved with the River Drivers Agreement three years ago.

The River Drivers Agreement group was an advisory committee that made recommendations for the AWW to the Department of Conservation.

Soucy said the meeting is a public one to which he and McGowan were invited. They also have attended meetings in northern Maine recently where they were not invited.

Soucy said another round of public hearings will be held on a new agreement for the AWW. Those have yet to be announced, and locations were not known Wednesday.

Those interested in commenting on revisions to the management plan may contact Tim Hall, Regional Manager, Maine Department of Conservation, 106 Hogan Road, Bangor 04401. Comments may be faxed to (207) 941-4222 or sent by e-mail to tim.hall@maine.gov.